Henoch-Schönlein purpura after postoperative Staphylococcus aureus infection with hepatic IgA nephropathy.

A 66-year-old man with a two-year history of hepatitis C viral liver cirrhosis, was diagnosed as having ascending colon cancer. Right hemicolectomy was performed, and a drain was fed down to the anastomosis. On post-operative day (POD) 9, and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) was isolated from both drains. After POD 12, relapsing persistent diarrhea with some blood occurred. On POD 20, the temperature increased to 39 degrees C, with symmetrical purpura and swelling in the femurs, and knee arthralgia developed. HSP was suspected. Clinical follow-up showed slight spontaneous reduction of diarrhea and purpura on POD 26. However, despite the negative drain culture, the high fever was maintained on POD 27. Therefore, intravenous steroid pulse therapy was performed. The purpura subsequently disappeared, except for a slight pigmentation and the temperature returned to normal. A renal biopsy was performed 26 days after the appearance of purpura. Pathological views demonstrated acute focal segmental glomerulonephritis-like nephropathy in addition to cirrhotic nephropathy with a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN)-like pattern and the mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis type. We describe a case of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) after postoperative Staphylococcus aureus infection of the intra-abdominal drain with IgA nephropathy associated with hepatitis C virus liver cirrhosis.