Open main menu

Pathology Education Instructional Resource β

IPLab:Lab 9:Diphtheria

Revision as of 02:06, 24 August 2013 by Seung Park (talk | contribs) (Related IPLab Cases)

Contents

Clinical SummaryEdit

This 4-year-old black female had an upper respiratory infection and a sore throat with increasing difficulty in breathing. Membranous exudate over one tonsil led to a working diagnosis of diphtheria, and the child was admitted. On the day of her admission, the child developed signs of respiratory tract obstruction and a tracheotomy was performed. However, the procedure was unable to establish a patent airway and the child died.

Autopsy FindingsEdit

At autopsy, a dense grayish pink membrane extended from both tonsils to the mid-trachea. The lungs were edematous and showed signs of pneumonia.

ImagesEdit

Study QuestionsEdit


Additional ResourcesEdit

In alcoholics, aspiration pneumonia is common--bacteria enter the lung via aspiration of gastric contents.