Prolonged Coagulopathy, Ecchymoses, and Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia Following Hump-Nosed Pit Viper (Hypnale

Rathnayaka Mudiyanselage M K Namal Rathnayaka1, Senanayake A M Kularatne2, Anusha Nishanthi Ranathunga3

  • 1Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka (Drs Rathnayaka and Rajapakse).

A 74-year-old previously healthy woman was bitten by a hump-nosed pit viper (Hypnale hypnale) at dusk causing incoagulable blood lasting for 6 days. Further, she developed ecchymoses over her forearms, upper arms, hands, and lower back on day 4 after the snakebite, and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA). Features of this nature are rare after hump-nosed pit viper bite.