title: Effects of intravenous immunoglobulin in a patient with intermittent thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
abstract: We describe a patient with a 9-year history of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) who exhibited four relapses. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was effective for these four episodes. The patient was well and the laboratory findings were within normal ranges between each episode, although unusually large von Willebrand factor multimers were observed during remission. Our results suggest the usefulness of IVIg at the time of relapse in the treatment of patients with TTP who have multiple relapses over a long period.
authors.affiliation: Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Shimizu Kohsei Hospital, Shimizu, Shizuoka, Japan. haruki_kondo@msn.com
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamura
mesh_terms: D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011697:Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D014841:von Willebrand Factor