Encefalopatía aguda en un paciente tratado con inmunoglobulina endovenosa por un síndrome de Guillain-Barré / Acute encephalopathy associated with the use of intravenous immunoglobulin. Report of one case

Adverse reactions to intravenous immunoglobulin (ivIg) therapy, such as anaphylaxis, acute encephalopathy, aseptic meningitis, or thrombotic phenomena are uncommon. We report a 58-year-old man with hypertension presenting with muscle weakness which led to paraparesia and respiratory failure. With the diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), he was treated with ivIg. He developed an acute encephalopathy few hours after the administration of ivIg, with a decreased level of consciousness and agitation. A CT scan revealed moderate and diffuse brain edema. Encephalopathy resolved 96 hours after ivIg withdrawal and use of plasma exchange. A CT scan performed seven days after showed the resolution of brain edema.

Clinical applications of immunoglobulin: update: [review]

Human immunoglobulin is the most used blood product in the clinical practice. Immunoglobulin applications have increased quickly since the elucidation of its immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory properties which turned this blood product into a precious tool in the treatment of numerous diseases that present with humoral immune deficiency or that cause immune system dysfunction. Currently, the approved indications for Ig are: primary immunodeficiencies, secondary immunodeficiencies (multiple myeloma or chronic lymphoid leukemia), Kawasaki syndrome, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, Guillain Barré syndrome, graft-versus-host disease following bone marrow transplantation and repeat infections in HIV children. On the other hand, there are numerous "off-label" indications of immunoglobulin, which represent 20-60 percent of all clinical applications of this drug. It is important to study all these indications and, above all, the scientific evidence for its use, in order to provide patients with a new therapeutic option without burdening the health system. This review results from a wide selection of papers identified in the Pubmed and Lilacs scientific electronic databases. A group of descriptors were used from human immunoglobulin to the names of each disease that immunoglobulin is clinically applied. Our main objective is to list the numerous indications of immunoglobulin, both authorized and "off-label" and to analyze these indications in the light of the most recent scientific evidence.

Tratamento de vasculopatia livedóide com imunoglobulina intravenosa / Treatment of Livedoid Vasculopathy with intravenous immunoglobulin

A vasculopatia livedóide apresenta-se com dor e úlceras de cicatrização lenta em membros inferiores, e fisiopatologia obscura. As estratégias terapêuticas incluem cicatrizantes, antiinflamatórios e imunossupressores, sem relatos de benefício permanente. Administrou-se imunoglobulina em paciente refratário a outras terapias e avaliou-se o comprometimento da pele antes e depois por meio de escore clínico. Houve regressão significativa das lesões. A droga foi bem tolerada, e a terapia foi finalizada.

Livedoid vasculopathy presents with pain and slowly healing ulcerations of the lower limbs, and has obscure pathophysiology. Usual therapeutics include rheologic, anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressing agents with no reports of permanent benefits. Immunoglobulin was administered to a patient who was refractory to other treatments and skin involvement was assessed by means of clinical score before and after treatment. There was a significant healing of the lesions. Imunoglobulim was well tolerated and therapy was discontinued.