Systemic capillary leak syndrome: is methylene blue the silver bullet?

Case Rep Crit Care

Unità Operativa di Anestesia e Rianimazione, Azienda Ospedaliera San Paolo, Polo Universitario, Via A. Di Rudinì 8, 20142 Milano, Italy ; Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via F. Sforza 35, 20122 Milano, Italy.

Published: December 2014

AI Article Synopsis

  • Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a rare condition marked by sudden increases in vascular permeability, resulting in low blood pressure, swelling, and concentrated blood.
  • A case study highlights a patient with SCLS who also showed elevated methemoglobin levels, suggesting excess nitric oxide (NO) production may play a role in the symptoms.
  • Methylene blue treatment quickly alleviated symptoms, hinting at a possible link between NO levels and the capillary leak phase, suggesting emergency physicians should consider its safety and potential benefits in managing SCLS.

Article Abstract

Background. Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a rare disorder characterized by unexplained, recurrent episodes of transient, abrupt increase in endothelial permeability, leading to severe hypotension, generalized edema, and hemoconcentration. Case Report. We report the case of a patient suffering from systemic capillary leak syndrome and present a possible interpretation of the pathophysiology of this condition. Besides the classical triad of hypotension, edema, and hemoconcentration, we recorded increased levels of methemoglobin, an index of NO overproduction. We present a possible interpretation of the pathophysiology of this condition based on the fast and complete reversal of symptoms after methylene blue administration (which opposes NO-induced effects) and speculate that increased NO levels could be implicated in the pathophysiology of the capillary leak phase. Why should an emergency physician be aware of this? The safety of this treatment and its fluid- and cathecolamine-sparing effect deserve consideration and further research.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4273586PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/141670DOI Listing

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