Treatment of an infant with severe acute refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura using combination therapy including rituximab.
Some infants with acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) do not respond to first-line therapy, and currently there is no consensus on therapy for these refractory cases. We describe a 12-week-old infant with acute ITP who was unresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroid, and developed gastrointestinal bleeding. Several combination therapies were unsuccessful. After four doses of rituximab followed by intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroid, his platelet counts gradually increased. Combined therapy which includes rituximab may be a promising treatment for severe acute refractory ITP.
Iesato
Kotoe
K
Department of Pediatrics, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Hatakeyama
Naoki
N
Yamamoto
Masaki
M
Hori
Tsukasa
T
Inazawa
Natsuko
N
Tsutsumi
Hiroyuki
H
Suzuki
Nobuhiro
N
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000069283:Rituximab
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000069283:Rituximab; D011241:Prednisone