ABSTRACT
Background: Plasmapheresis can be useful in myasthenia gravis, Guillain BarrÚ syndrome and chronic demyelinating inflamatory polyradiculoneuritis. Aim: To report our experience with plasmapheresis in patients with neurological diseases. Material and methods: Retrospective review of plasmapheresis procedures done between 1995 and 2001, in a public hospital. Indications criteria, clinical results and technical yield were analyzed. Results: One hundred fifty nine procedures were reviewed. One hundred forty (88 percent) were indicated for neurological diseases (44 percent for Guillain BarrÚ syndrome and 29 percent for myasthenia gravis). Clinical improvement or eventual complications were avoided in 70 percent of patients with Guillain BarrÚ syndrome and 100 percent of patients with myasthenia gravis. Hypotension in 10 percent and paresthesias in 7 percent were observed. All complications were successfully controlled with crystalloid or fresh plasma infusions or citrate management. In 11 cases, the procedure was interrupted due to obstruction of the venous access, that was peripheral in eight of these. The most common difficulties of the procedure were delay in performing it in 50 percent of patients and insufficient exchange volumes in 30 percent. Conclusions: Plasmapheresis was safe and useful in patients with myasthenia gravis and Guillain BarrÚ syndrome. The drawbacks of the procedure are its costs and requirement of special equipment (Rev MÚd Chile 2004; 132: 295-8).