Rituximab as a First-line Treatment for Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia in Multicentric Castleman's Disease

Abstract

Castleman´s disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder. Concurrent autoimmune disease and CD are uncommon, but even more so, comorbid CD and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). To the best of our knowledge, this case represents the first successful AIHA and multicentric CD (MCD) treatment using rituximab as first-line treatment. We present the case of a 53-year-old woman with a 10-year history of plasma cell variant CD who arrived at the emergency department with signs and symptoms of anemia. On admission, we made a preliminary diagnosis of hemolytic anemia and initiated immunosuppressive therapy with rituximab and steroids. After seven days, the patient recovered according to clinical and laboratory parameters, and we discharged her early. We portray a rare occurrence of CD and AIHA successfully treated with rituximab and steroid therapy, which makes our case unique.