Severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia treated by paralysis, induced hypothermia, and splenic embolization

Partial Splenic Artery Embolization in 35 Cancer Patients: Results of a Single Institution Retrospective Study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of partial splenic embolization (PSE) in cancer patients with different etiologies of splenomegaly/hypersplenism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The medical records of 35 cancer patients who underwent 39 PSE procedures were analyzed. The splenomegaly/hypersplenism was due to chemotherapy (n = 17), portal hypertension (n = 10), or hematologic malignancy (n = 8). After the first 11 PSEs, celiac plexus neurolysis, corticosteroids, and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were included in the post-procedural management.

RESULTS

PSE led to 59 ± 16% (mean ± standard deviation) splenic infarcts. The infarct volume per 1 mL 300-500 μm tris-acryl gelatin microspheres was not significantly different between the chemotherapy-induced group (264 ± 89 cm³) and the portal hypertension group (285 ± 139 cm³) but was significantly higher in the hematology group (582 ± 345 cm³). Platelet count increased from 65.7 ± 19.7 k/μl to a peak platelet count of 221 ± 83 k/μl at 2 weeks after PSE. Patients with a follow-up period of more than 1 year had the most recent platelet count of 174 ± 113 k/μl. Platelet count increase was significantly higher in the chemotherapy-induced group than the portal hypertension group. Adding celiac plexus neurolysis, corticosteroids, and NSAIDs to the post-procedural management resulted in a decreased rate of major complications from 73% to 46% and a decrease in the rate of moderate or severe pain from 92% to 20%.

CONCLUSIONS

PSE improved platelet counts in cancer patients despite different etiologies of splenomegaly. The addition of celiac plexus neurolysis, corticosteroids, and NSAIDS to the post-PSE treatment protocol reduced complications. Data from this study could help to predict the amount of 300-500 μm tris-acryl gelatin microspheres required to achieve a planned infarct size.

Life-Threatening Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia and Idhiopatic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. Successful Selective Splenic Artery Embolization

Selective splenic artery embolization (SSAE) is a nonsurgical intervention characterized by the transcatheter occlusion of the splenic artery and/or its branch vessels using metallic coils or other embolic devices. It has been applied for the management of splenic trauma, hypersplenism with portal hypertension, hereditary spherocytosis, thalassemia and splenic hemangioma. We hereby describe a case of a patient affected by idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and warm auto-immune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) both resistant to immunosuppressive and biological therapies, not eligible for a surgical intervention because of her critical conditions. She underwent SSAE and achieved a hematologic complete response within a few days without complications. SSAE is a minimally invasive procedure to date not considered a standard option in the management of AIHA and ITP. However, following the progressive improvement of the techniques, its indications have been extended, with a reduction in morbidity and mortality compared to splenectomy in patients with critical clinical conditions. SSAE was a lifesaving therapeutic approach for our patient and it may represent a real alternative for the treatment of resistant AIHA and ITP patients not eligible for splenectomy.

Clinical application of partial splenic embolization

Partial splenic embolization (PSE) is one of the intra-arterial therapeutic approaches of diseases. With the development of interventional radiology, the applications of PSE in clinical practice are greatly extended, while various materials are developed for embolization use. Common indications of PSE include hypersplenism with portal hypertension, hereditary spherocytosis, thalassemia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, splenic trauma, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, splenic hemangioma, and liver cancer. It is also performed to exclude splenic artery aneurysms from the parent vessel lumen and prevent aneurysm rupture, to treat splenic artery steal syndrome and improve liver perfusion in liver transplant recipients, and to administer targeted treatment to areas of neoplastic disease in the splenic parenchyma. Indicators of the therapeutic effect evaluation of PSE comprise blood routine test, changes in hemodynamics and in splenic volume. Major complications of PSE include the pulmonary complications, severe infection, damages of renal and liver function, and portal vein thrombosis. The limitations of PSE exist mainly in the difficulties in selecting the arteries to embolize and in evaluating the embolized volume.

Subtotal laparoscopic splenectomy in rats with preservation of the inferior pole

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of subtotal splenectomy by laparoscopy with inferior pole preservation and to determine the viability of the splenic remnant. Methods: Twenty male Wistar rats weighing between 365 g and 474 g (mean 417.92 ± 36.15g SD) were operated and randomly assigned to two groups : Group 1 rats were killed on postoperative day 10 (n = 10), and Group 2 on the postoperative day 80 (n = 10). Both the inferior splenic pole and the superior part of the spleen, which was used as a control to measure inferior pole viability, were weighed and morphologically examined. Results: The technique was feasible in all cases. There were two postoperative deaths on immediate postoperative and one not well defined. The average weight percentage of the inferior pole, measured indirectly on the 10th day, was 53.67% ± 11.59% and on the 80th day was 62.69% ± 6.89%. The inferior pole was necrotic, with abscess formation in one case (5.9%) and appeared normal in all other cases. Microscopy showed features that were compatible with normality. Conclusions: Subtotal splenectomy with preservation of the inferior pole by laparoscopy was feasible and safety. The lower splenic pole was viable in 94.1% of animals.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia associated with a formulation of traditional Chinese medicines

PURPOSE

A case of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) after treatment with a Chinese herbal preparation is reported.

SUMMARY

A 29-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with the primary complaints of jaundice, tea-colored urine, and fatigue lasting 10 days. Thirteen days prior, she went to a local private clinic seeking treatment for mild stomach pain and general malaise and was given weidean tablets. She took four tablets of weidean, a Chinese herbal preparation, orally three times daily for 2 days. After 2 days, she experienced fatigue, dizziness, and chest distress and subsequently discontinued treatment. Upon examination, she exhibited mild scleral and mucosal icterus. Her conjunctivas were pale, and her skin was slightly jaundiced. Preliminary laboratory tests found a low hemoglobin level and an elevated reticulocyte count. Biochemical tests showed an elevated total serum bilirubin concentration with indirect hyperbilirubinemia. Coombs' test results were positive for immunoglobulin G but negative for C3. All other test results were normal. The patient was diagnosed with AIHA secondary to weidean use, and she was treated promptly with oral prednisone, i.v. cimetidine, and oral sodium bicarbonate tablets. Seven days later, she showed clinical improvement. Her hemoglobin level rapidly increased to above 100 g/L, with a corresponding decrease in her reticulocyte count and serum bilirubin value over the next 8 days. She was discharged 15 days after admission and was asymptomatic at a three-week follow-up visit.

CONCLUSION

Weidean, a formulation of Chinese medicinal herbs and other constituents, was associated with AIHA in a woman taking the remedy for gastritis.

Efficacy of red blood cell transfusion in the critically ill: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions are common in intensive care unit, trauma, and surgical patients. However, the hematocrit that should be maintained in any particular patient because the risks of further transfusion of RBC outweigh the benefits remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

A systematic review of the literature to determine the association between red blood cell transfusion, and morbidity and mortality in high-risk hospitalized patients.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, and citation review of relevant primary and review articles.

STUDY SELECTION

Cohort studies that assessed the independent effect of RBC transfusion on patient outcomes. From 571 articles screened, 45 met inclusion criteria and were included for data extraction.

DATA EXTRACTION

Forty-five studies including 272,596 were identified (the outcomes from one study were reported in four separate publications). The outcome measures were mortality, infections, multiorgan dysfunction syndrome, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The overall risks vs. benefits of RBC transfusion on patient outcome in each study was classified as (i) risks outweigh benefits, (ii) neutral risk, and (iii) benefits outweigh risks. The odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for each outcome measure was recorded if available. The pooled odds ratios were determined using meta-analytic techniques.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Forty-five observational studies with a median of 687 patients/study (range, 63-78,974) were analyzed. In 42 of the 45 studies the risks of RBC transfusion outweighed the benefits; the risk was neutral in two studies with the benefits outweighing the risks in a subgroup of a single study (elderly patients with an acute myocardial infarction and a hematocrit <30%). Seventeen of 18 studies, demonstrated that RBC transfusions were an independent predictor of death; the pooled odds ratio (12 studies) was 1.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.4-1.9). Twenty-two studies examined the association between RBC transfusion and nosocomial infection; in all these studies blood transfusion was an independent risk factor for infection. The pooled odds ratio (nine studies) for developing an infectious complication was 1.8 (95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.2). RBC transfusions similarly increased the risk of developing multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (three studies) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (six studies). The pooled odds ratio for developing acute respiratory distress syndrome was 2.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.6-3.3).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the inherent limitations in the analysis of cohort studies, our analysis suggests that in adult, intensive care unit, trauma, and surgical patients, RBC transfusions are associated with increased morbidity and mortality and therefore, current transfusion practices may require reevaluation. The risks and benefits of RBC transfusion should be assessed in every patient before transfusion.