hirudin and Granuloma

Hirudin is one of the new synthetic antithrombin agents, which is most commonly used in patients with type II heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and in patients with hypersensitivity reactions to unfractionated heparin as well as low-molecular-weight heparins. Hirudin is comparable to heparin as an antithrombotic agent and also has been studied as a primary treatment in patients who experienced acute myocardial infarctions. We describe a patient with a history of type II heparin-induced thrombocytopenia who was placed on intravenous hirudin therapy. After extravasation of the intravenous hirudin site, the patient developed a delayed hypersensitivity reaction that histologically showed an epithelioid granulomatous infiltrate. Although rare reports of hypersensitivity reactions to hirudin have been published, these reactions have not been well characterized and the histopathologic changes have not been described.

Topics: Biopsy; Calcinosis; Collagen; Dermatitis, Contact; Drug Hypersensitivity; Epithelioid Cells; Fibrinolytic Agents; Granuloma; Heparin; Hirudins; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction; Skin; Thrombocytopenia