title: Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in hematological diseases.
abstract: In the last decade large amounts of intravenous immunoglobulin (i.v.Ig) have been used worldwide. Doubts exist as to whether this increased use is paralleled by a comparable growth of reliable data on the therapeutic effectiveness of i.v.Ig. We performed a literature search using MEDLINE from January 1981 to January 1997 and analysed articles on the use of i.v.Ig in hematological disorders and searched for published guidelines. For most hematological disorders, evidence to use i.v.Ig as first line therapy is not very strong. For many disorders no controlled trials have been performed. In published guidelines, i.v.Ig is only recommended, with a few exceptions, when other treatments have failed or are contraindicated. Therefore the increase of consumption of i.v.Ig can not be explained by an increase in established indications in hematology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Otten
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Bossuyt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vermeulen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous