Katharine Krom Merritt

Biography

• 1886 – Born 9 January in Stamford, Connecticut to US Congressman Schuyler Merritt (1853-1953)
• 1908 – AB, Vassar College
• 1917 – MD, John Hopkins Medical school
• 1918 – Pediatric internship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital as one of the first female interns at the hospital. Despite having received her degree from medical degrees from Johns Hopkins, Merritt had to find an alternative location for internship as they did not allow female interns at that time.
• 1920-1933 – Private paediatric practice in Manhattan
• 1929 – Associate in Diseases of Children, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
• 1946 – Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
• Associate attending pediatrician at Babies Hospital of the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
• Attending pediatrician at the Vanderbilt Clinic
• Co-founder of the Stamford branch of the Family and Children’s Service with her sister, Louise Dalton
• 1986 – Died 5 August in Stamford, Connecticut, aged 100

Medical Eponyms

Kasabach–Merritt syndrome (1940)

Also known as Kasabach-Merritt Phenomenon.

Kasabach Merritt syndrome is a life threatening thrombocytopenia coagulopathy associated with specific aggressive vascular tumours. It was first described by Katharine Krom Merritt (1886–1986) and Haig Haigouni Kasabach (1898–1943), who reported a case of thrombopenic purpura associated with benign hemangioma in an infant seen at the Columbia University Babies Hospital in 1940.

Kasabach-Merritt syndrome appears to result from platelet trapping within the tumour secondary to platelet activation and fibrinogen consumption. This, in turn leads to intra-lesional bleeding and hemangioma enlargement. It is associated with high mortality rate, associated with degree of coagulopathy.

Thrombopenic purpura associated with benign hemangioma is rare. In fact, we have not been able to find a record of a combination of these two conditions in the medical literature. We wish to report the following case of an extensive hemangioma of the skin associated with diffuse purpuric manifestations.

Kasabach, Merritt. 1940

Major Publications

• Merritt KK. Urobilin excretion in children with anemia. Am J Dis Child. 1925;30(5):667-669.
• Merritt KK, Davidson LT. The blood during the firsdt year of life: II The anemia of prematurity. Am J Dis Child. 1934;47(2):261–301.
• Kasabach HH, Merritt KK. Capillary hemangioma with extensive purpura: report of a case. American Journal of Diseases of Children. 1940; 59: 1063–1070.
• Richards MR, Merritt KK, Samuels MH, Langmann AG. Frequency and significance of cardiac murmurs in the first year of life. Pediatrics. 1955;15(2):169-179.

References

Biography

• Katharine Merritt’s Photo Album 1893-1894
• Obituary. Dr. Katharine Krom Merritt, charity branch founder, dies. New York Times. 1986
• Bader E, Shipman AR. The women behind the names: Dermatology eponyms named after women. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2015;1(3):157-160.
• The first women on Staff at St. Louis Children’s hospital. Women in Health Sciences
• Bibliography. Merritt, Katharine K. WorldCat Identities

Eponym

• Osman NM. Kasabach – Merritt syndrome: A case report. Sudan J Paediatr. 2013;13(1):49-52.
• Mahajan P, Margolin J, Iacobas I. Kasabach-Merritt Phenomenon: Classic Presentation and Management Options. Clin Med Insights Blood Disord. 2017;10