title: Case report: steroid sparing effect of intravenous gamma globulin in a child with necrotizing vasculitis.
abstract: This article reports the case of a boy aged 2 years 6 months, who had fever, arthritis, and necrotizing cutaneous vasculitis. Evaluation revealed no evidence of direct infectious causes. However, high anti-streptolysin and streptozyme titers during the acute phase support the possibility that streptococcal infection played an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease. The patient's condition improved significantly with the administration of prednisone. However, several attempts to diminish the prednisone dose resulted in relapses. Subsequently, the prednisone was successfully tapered and discontinued after intravenous gamma globulin administration. It is recommended that intravenous gamma globulin should be considered before immunosuppressive therapy in the treatment of necrotizing vasculitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Medical Center, New Orleans 70112-2822.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gedalia
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sorensen
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000175:diagnosis; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D018366:Vasculitis, Leukocytoclastic, Cutaneous / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D011241:Prednisone