Cold Agglutinin-induced Hemolytic Anemia as the Primary Presentation in Systematic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in Pregnancy Triggered by Infection: A Case Report

Abstract

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) may be the first manifestation of systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Antierythrocyte antibodies in SLE are mainly warm-type Immunoglobulin G (IgG), but mixed-type AIHA is also reported. Cold antibody-mediated hemolytic anemia is extremely rare in SLE. Only a few cases have been reported in the literature. A 37-year-old pregnant woman presented with features of hemolytic anemia and was later diagnosed as an SLE case. Although rare, a new case report highlights that cold-type autoimmune hemolytic anemia may be an early manifestation of SLE.

Keywords

• Pregnancy
• Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
• Cold agglutinins
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus