Overwhelming pneumococcal sepsis 25 years after splenectomy.

In a 47-year-old healthy male, the syndrome of overwhelming pneumococcal sepsis, associated with diffuse intravascular clotting, appeared 25 years after a post-traumatic splenectomy. Although no other disease was present, the course was fulminant and the outcome fatal. Splenectomy for any condition and in all ages, augments the risk to severe pneumococcal infection.