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Idiopathic chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation
P J Green1, A Lecointe-Jones, R Majer
1Department of Haematology, St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth, Hants, UK.
Insights
Chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) typically has a cause, but this case study found a 79-year-old man with persistent DIC for 3 years without any identifiable underlying condition.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Internal Medicine
- Pathophysiology
Background:
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a serious condition characterized by abnormal activation of coagulation.
- DIC is almost always secondary to an identifiable underlying condition, such as sepsis, trauma, or malignancy.
Observation:
- A 79-year-old male patient presented with chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation.
- The condition persisted for three years.
- Extensive investigations failed to reveal any detectable underlying causative condition.
Findings:
- The case highlights a rare instance of chronic DIC without an identifiable etiology.
- This challenges the conventional understanding that DIC is invariably linked to a specific underlying disease process.
Implications:
- This case expands the spectrum of DIC presentations.
- Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms behind idiopathic chronic DIC.
- Clinicians should consider the possibility of unprovoked chronic DIC in complex cases.
Abstract:
Disseminated intravascular coagulation, whether acute or chronic is usually associated with an underlying causative condition. In this case chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation persisted in one 79 year old man for 3 years with no detectable underlying cause.