Early diagnosis of staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome by detection of the TSST-1 Vbeta signature in peripheral blood of a 12-year-old boy.

We report the case of a 12-year-old boy who developed staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome associated with S. aureus pharyngeal colonization or infection. The diagnosis was rapidly confirmed by detecting the Vbeta signature of the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 in peripheral blood, based on transient T cell depletion rapidly followed by massive expansion of Vbeta 2-positive T cells.