Pulmonary aspergillosis and central nervous system hemorrhage as complications of autoimmune hemolytic anemia treated with corticosteroids.
Warm, active antibody adult autoimmune hemolytic anemia is the most common form of hemolytic anemia not related to drug therapy. Mortality in adult autoimmune hemolytic anemia is related to the inability to successfully treat patients' underlying disease, or the infectious complications of splenectomy and prolonged steroid therapy. Predisposing factors for invasive aspergillosis are neutropenia and steroid therapy. We present a fatal case of aspergillosis complicating a nonneutropenic case of warm active antibody adult autoimmune hemolytic anemia treated with prolonged steroid therapy.
Cleri
Dennis J
DJ
Department of Medicine, St. Francis Medical Center, Seton Hall University School of Graduate Medical Education, Trenton, NJ 08629-1986, USA. dcleri@che-east.org
Moser
Robert L
RL
Villota
Francisco J
FJ
Wang
Yue
Y
Husain
Syed A
SA
Nadeem
Shahzinah
S
Anjari
Tarek
T
Sajed
Mohammad
M
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000744:Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones