Shwartzman phenomenon is a rare reaction of a body to particular types of
toxins, called
endotoxins
Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are large molecules consisting of a lipid and a polysaccharide that are bacterial toxins. They are composed of an O-antigen, an outer core, and an inner core all joined by a covalent bond, and are found in the outer me ...
, which cause
thrombosis
Thrombosis (from Ancient Greek "clotting") is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel (a vein or an artery) is injured, the body uses platelets (t ...
in the affected
tissue. A clearing of the thrombosis results in a
reticuloendothelial blockade, which prevents re-clearing of the thrombosis caused by a repeat introduction of the toxin. That will cause tissue
necrosis. Shwartzman phenomenon is usually observed during delivery or abortion, when foreign bodies are introduced into the tissues of the female
reproductive system
The reproductive system of an organism, also known as the genital system, is the biological system made up of all the anatomical organs involved in sexual reproduction. Many non-living substances such as fluids, hormones, and pheromones are als ...
.
The Shwartzman phenomenon is named for
Gregory Shwartzman, the doctor at
Mount Sinai Hospital in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
who was the first to develop the concept of
immune system
The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splint ...
hypersensitivity in the 1920s. This reaction was experimented using ''Neisseria meningitidis'' endotoxin. A related observation was made by
Giuseppe Sanarelli leading to the term Sanarelli-Shwartzman phenomenon, however many modern works use more generic terms such as
Disseminated intravascular coagulation.
This is notably seen with ''Neisseria meningitidis''.
[First Aid for the USMLE. 2009.]
References
External links
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Toxicology