title: Dramatic responses to intravenous immunoglobulin in vasculitis.
abstract: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been successfully used to treat autoimmune diseases. We report dramatic, rapid and sustained responses to its use in two cases of vasculitis: a patient with primary angitis of the central nervous system: and a patient with hepatitis-B-antigen-related polyarteritis nodosa, who failed treatment with corticosteroids. Improvement in gait and a marked decrease in serum creatinine, respectively, were observed within 24 h of the first dose of IVIG. Both patients remained stable for several months. We conclude that IVIG should be considered in patients with vasculitis who fail corticosteroids, or when a rapid response is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boman
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ballen
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Seggev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous