Papers of the Week

A previously healthy, 44-year-old, female patient was hospitalized for acute abdominal pain and bilateral pneumonia. Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) was diagnosed on the basis of eosinophilia, eosinophilic tissue inflammation, polyneuropathy, and bilateral pneumonia. She had a fatal, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis following thrombocytopenia, which was apparently caused by platelet consumption. It may have been possible to prevent deterioration of the venous thrombosis by starting immunosuppressive or anticoagulant therapy earlier. If a patient with EGPA presents unexplained thrombocytopenia, the physician should assess for physical findings or laboratory abnormalities suggestive of thrombosis. Additionally, if the patient complains about headache or nausea with normal head computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic resonance venography should be performed to assess for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.