Abstract
Hypothermia has been demonstrated to induce pancytopenia in animals, but whether this association exists in humans is unknown. The authors report the case of an 8-year-old girl in whom hypothermia (temperature 33 degrees C-35 degrees C) is the cause of pancytopenia. The patient developed thermoregulatory dysfunction subsequent to surgical resection of a craniopharyngioma. Her recurrent cytopenias could not be explained by any etiology except chronic hypothermia. The pancytopenia improved upon rewarming the patient to a temperature of 36 degrees C. This association between hypothermia and pancytopenia has rarely been reported in humans and may be underdiagnosed especially in cases of transient or milder presentations. The authors recommend careful hematologic monitoring of patients with thermoregulatory dysfunction.
MeSH terms
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Adrenal Insufficiency / etiology
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Blood Cell Count
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Cerebral Infarction / complications
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Child
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Chronic Disease
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Consciousness Disorders / etiology
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Craniopharyngioma / complications
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Craniopharyngioma / surgery*
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Deamino Arginine Vasopressin / administration & dosage
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Deamino Arginine Vasopressin / adverse effects
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Deamino Arginine Vasopressin / therapeutic use
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Dehydration / etiology
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Diabetes Insipidus / etiology
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Female
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Frontal Lobe / blood supply
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Humans
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Hyponatremia / etiology
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Hypophysectomy* / adverse effects
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Hypopituitarism / etiology
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Hypothalamus / injuries
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Hypothalamus / physiopathology*
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Hypothermia / complications*
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Hypothermia / physiopathology
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Hypothyroidism / etiology
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Pancreatitis / complications
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Pancytopenia / etiology*
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Pancytopenia / physiopathology
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Pituitary Neoplasms / complications
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Pituitary Neoplasms / surgery*
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Postoperative Complications / physiopathology*
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Seizures / etiology
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Sleep Stages
Substances
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Deamino Arginine Vasopressin