plasmaferesis

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treatment has significantly changed in recent years because of the discovery of new molecules that have shown efficacy as maintenance treatment. However, the classical treatment for acute attacks is based on corticosteroids administration, being the periodical plasmapheresis the alternative treatment in the case of refractory patients. We introduce a case of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis treated with a classical acute attacks therapy: plasmapheresis...

Objective: To report the case of pregnant woman with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) presenting as the Miller Fisher variant, and to review the literature on the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this GBS variant during gestation. Materials and Methods: Pregnant woman presenting at 27 weeks of gestation with Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS), treated in a military referral hospital with a satisfactory course after 15 days, continuation of normal pregnancy and delivery of a healthy neonate at 38 weeks...

Severe Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is associated with complications such as acute pancreatitis (AP) with high morbidity and mortality rates. We report a 42 years-old man with refractory HTG diagnosed at 19 years of age, and multiple episodes of AP, admitted with the suspicion of a new AP episode. Serum triglycerides were over 2000 mg/dl. His body mass index was 18 kg/m2, there was no evidence of xanthomas or xanthelasmas, but lipemia retinalis was found. Management included heparin and insulin, added to his usual treatment with fibrates, statins, omega-3 fatty acids, and orlistat...

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for the treatment of primary immunodeficiency disorders have been administrated for more than 25 years. However, the recognition of the anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory actions of IVIG resulted broader applications to autoimmunity and systemic inflammatory conditions. The major focus of this review is the usefulness of IVIG therapy in children kidney disease, particularly in severe, atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, refractory to standard therapy, including plasmaferesis...

Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) is characterized as activation of the clotting system resulting in fibrin thrombi, gradually diminishing levels of clotting factors with increased risk of bleeding. Basically two types of DIC are distinguished: (1) chronic (compensated) - with alteration of laboratory values and (2) acute (non-compensated) - with severe clinical manifestations: bleeding, shock, acute renal failure (ARF), transient focal neurologic deficit, delirium or coma. Chronic DIC related to metastatic neoplasia is caused by pancreatic, gastric or prostatic carcinoma in most of the cases...

Thyrotoxic crisis during pregnancy is a rare condition, but because of the danger it poses for the mother and fetus, every physician should be able to diagnose and treat it. When not recognized or incorrect treated hyperthyroidism, which is not easy to diagnose during pregnancy, is usually the basis for thyrotoxic storm. Serious conditions such as Graves' disease or multinodular goiter have to be distinguished from transient hyperthyroidism. Symptoms, such as: heat intolerance, hyperexia, emesis, tachycardia, increased pulse pressure and emotional liability should be considered cautiously because they are characteristic both for hyperthyroidism and for pregnancy...

A case of a 29-year-old woman 18 days after delivery with catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome secondary (CAPS) due to undiagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus, leading to cardiogenic shock is reported. Laboratory evaluation revealed increased anticardiolipin antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, antinuclear antibody and thrombocytopenia. Left ventricular ejection fraction was 20%, neurologic deficit and acute renal failure were also present. Cardiac involvement is common in CAPS, but cardiomyopathy due to microvascular thrombosis is rare...

The prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) has substantially improved during last decades due to new, so-called targeted drugs--proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and immunomodulatory drugs (ImiDs), thalidomide and lenalidomide. They could be used in various combinations and/or sequentially thanks to different mechanism of action and toxicity. Both bortezomib and thalidomide are widely used in Czech republic, however, lenalidomide was approved for the treatment of MM (and MDS) at the very latest and its usage is limited due to high costs, as well...

Basic principles in the therapy of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura are glucocorticoides and splenectomy. Other measures: Intravenous high doses gamma globulin therapy, attenuated androgenes, immunosupresive drugs and plasmaferesis are less effective. During the period of 1989-1992 we treated 34 patients. From 34 patients, 23 were women and 11 were men. We treated patients primarily by prednisolon approximaly for 2 - 4 weeks. Rarely we use doses of 3 mg/kg per day for short periods of time (5 to 10 days) or "pulse therapy" of 500 mg per day...

Basic principles in the therapy of idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia induced by warm antibody were glucocorticoides and splenectomy. Immunosupresive drugs, plasmaferesis and intravenous high doses gamma globulin therapy are also useful. In secundary autoimmune hemolytic anemia induced by warm antibody we treated basic illness. During the period of 1990-1992 we treated 21 patients with primary autoimmune hemolytic anemia and 6 patients with secondary /4 CLL and 2 Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma/. Complete remission we found as a normalisation of reticulocites and hemoglobin level respectively...

BACKGROUND: Antiphospholipid antibodies are associated with thrombocytopenia and fetal loss, and have been reported elevated in patients with preeclampsia-eclampsia. Site: Preeclampsia-Eclampsia Research Unit, Instituto Materno Infantil del Estado de Mexico, Toluca, Mexico and the Specialty Hospital Research Unit, La Raza Medical Center, Mexico City, Mexico. OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of anticardiolipin antibodies (IgG-IgM) as markers of acute endothelial damage in patients with preeclampsia...

On the basis of current literature, clinical and neuropathologic features of idiopathic autonomic neuropathy is presented. Idiopathic autonomic neuropathy is a disease characterized by acute or subacute onset, monophasic course over a period of several years, it is often preceded by an infection. The spectrum of autonomic changes ranges from cholinergic or adrenergic dysfunction to pandysautonomia, leading to heterogeneity of its clinical features. Possible sympathetic system abnormalities found in autonomic neuropathy are: poor pupillary response to light in darkness, orthostatic hypotension leading to syncope, hypotension without compensatory tachycardia, ejaculation disturbances and vasomotor instability...

A case of the Gullain-Barré syndrome was observed in a woman aged 18 years. The course was acute and fatal. Sedimentation plasmaferesis was applied in the treatment. A peculiarity of the case was the ascending course of paralysis and coexistence of encephalomyelitis.

The exact pathogenesis of hepatic coma is unknown and this fact has stimulated research in the field of hemodetoxification treatment. We studied 31 patients (19 M and 12 F) with acute hepatic failure and used different detoxification techniques such as hemodialysis, hemoperfusion, hemofiltration and plasmaferesis. We evaluated blood tests, degree of coma and serum levels of middle-molecular weight substances (by gel-chromatography) for each patient. Our results show that there was an improvement of consciousness and general clinical state in 40% of patients who underwent HD, in 50% of patients treated with HP, in 37...

A 19-year-old patient with acute idiopathic polyneuritis is described. Clinically, apart from ophthalmoplegia, areflexia and ataxia, the patient presented a serious bilateral and symmetrical deficiency of the VII-IX-X cranial nerve and hypanapallesthesia of trunk and extremities. Liquor examination showed albumino-cytological dissociation with an increase in liquor IgG; encephalic CT and encephalo-medullary NMR were normal; a neurophysiological study (EMG, PEV, BAER) was indicative of the PNS problems. Combined corticosteroid and plasmaferesis treatment produced complete clinical remission after about 3 months...