A 50 year-old woman with iron deficiency anemia, renal failure and colitis: case report and brief review of literature

Abstract

The hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is defined by the triad of hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. The typical presentation of HUS occurs following a diarrheal prodrome. Diarrhea is infectious, usually due to Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. In typical HUS, the history may include exposure to contaminated food. Symptoms develop 24 hours to 8 days following ingestion of the offending agent. Atypical HUS (aHUS) is being described in a growing body of literature and is more commonly associated with neurologic impairment. Central nervous system involvement may occur in almost half of patients and symptoms vary from mild (lethargy, irritability) to severe (seizures, paresis, coma). Atypical HUS may be caused by a variety of etiologies, each with a different trigger resulting in the final common pathway of inflammatory cascade causing renal endothelial and vascular injury and resultant thrombotic microangiopathy. This report describes the case of a 50-year-old female who developed HUS.