Home            Past Issues            About IP            About IAP           Author Information            Subscription            Advertisement              Search  

   
images

Indian Pediatr 2016;53: 847

Auricular Blister – A Rare Transfusion Reaction

 

Mithun Chandra Konar and Taraknath Ghosh

Department of Pediatrics, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
Email: [email protected]
m

 


A 1½-yr-old boy, known case of
b thalassemia major developed erythematous, mildly pruritic, non-tender blisters on both pinnae (Fig. 1), after packed red blood cell transfusion. These lesions persisted, even after stopping transfusion, for next two days. Aspiration of the fluid from the blisters showed predominance of eosinophils without any pus cells; fluid culture was also sterile. We treated the patient with oral cetrizine (antihistamine), and the lesions subsided after 48 hours without any residual pigmentation or scarring.

Fig. 1 Auricular blister after blood transfusion.

Auricular blisters may occur due to delayed type of hypersensitivity reaction in allergic and irritant contact dermatitis where in the acute phases, the skin is erythematous, edematous, and pruritic. Small papulovesicular lesions with exudation and crusting are also present. However, auricular blisters following acute transfusions have not been reported earlier. Other differential diagnoses are otohematomas (unilateral, non-pruritic and follows trauma), lymphocytoma (an infection caused by Borellia burgdorferi that usually occurs on ear margin or lobe and typically appears as erythematous, tender swelling), and photodermatosis (erythematous, intensely pruritic, lesions following sun exposure).

Acknowledgement: Prof. Asok Kumar Datta, Head of our Pediatrics Department for motivation and cordial support.

 

Copyright © 1999-2016 Indian Pediatrics