IJSR - International Journal of Scientific Research

Dr Sangita D Kamath

Volume : VIII, Issue : VIII, August - 2019

Idiopathic cold antibody autoimmune hemolytic anemia – A case report. Where was the infection lurking?

Dr Sangita D Kamath

Abstract :

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is characterized by shortened red blood cell survival and positive direct Coombs’ test. The responsible autoantibodies may be either warm reactive or cold reactive and are directed against the RBC antigens. The rate of hemolysis and the severity of the anemia may vary from mild to severe and life–threatening. Cold antibody mediated AIHA or cold agglutinin disease (CAD) is characterized by the presence of autoantibodies which exhibit affinity for RBCs optimally at temperatures below body temperature. In adults, most of the cold–reactive antibodies are agglutinins of IgM isotype. When AIHA occurs as a manifestation or complication of another disease, it is termed as secondary AIHA. In the absence of any disease, it is termed primary or idiopathic. Primary CAD is generally a disease of elderly, while in young adults and children, it is usually secondary to infections due to mycoplasma, chicken pox, or Ebstein Barr virus. We report a case of a young girl who developed cold agglutinin induced AIHA in absence of any obvious cause and showed good response to steroid.