Rituximab Twice Weekly for Refractory Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in a Critically Ill Patient with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Abstract

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare, serious, life-threatening disease characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and hypercoagulability. The etiology is a deficiency of ADAMTS13 which is usually caused by acquired antibodies. Plasma exchange and steroids is the standard of care in the treatment of TTP. However, there are refractory cases of TTP which require further management. Rituximab appears to be a safe and effective therapy for refractory and relapsing TTP. Here we report a challenging case of TTP that responded to treatment with rituximab twice weekly. According to our knowledge, rituximab twice weekly has never been used for TTP before.

Keywords

• thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
• thrombocytopenia
• platelet disorder
• refractory disease
• relapse
• rituximab