Clostridium perfringens is an anaerobic, gram-positive rod that inhabits the soil and the intestinal tracts of many animals, including humans. C. perfringens is a major cause of food poisoning, traumatic or nontraumatic myonecrosis, clostridial cellulitis, gangrenous cholecystitis, sepsis or bacteremia, and intravascular hemolysis. Massive intravascular hemolysis is a rare complication of C. perfringens septicemia and has a high mortality rate with an extremely rapid progression. Therefore, aggressive treatment is required as soon as the diagnosis is made. In this study, we report a case of massive intravascular hemolysis due to C. perfringens septicemia in a 34-year-old man with liver cirrhosis.

Keywords: Clostiridium perfringens, Massive intravascular hemolysis, Sepsis