An adult case of combined encephalopathy and hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by Escherichia coli O157

Abstract

We report a 28-year-old woman with O157 enterohemorrhagic colitis-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome in whom seizures and transient hemiparesis developed on the 12th day after admission to hospital. Her subsequent recovery was characterized by improvements in renal function and platelet count. The patient recovered after treatment with steroid pulse and plasma exchange therapy, without any sequelae. As there have been few reports on the onset of encephalopathy in adults, we report this interesting case, with reference to the literature for possible effective treatment.