Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Purpura Refractory to Plasmapheresis Treated Successfully with Rituximab.

ABSTRACT

Thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura (TTP) is a rare hematological disease and only 20%–30% of patients present with classic pentad. About 20% of patients with TTP are resistant to plasma exchange. We have described a 28-year-old female patient with TTP who did not have classic pentad of TTP. We ruled out all other differential diagnosis. She was refractory to plasmapheresis and was treated successfully with rituximab. It was thus concluded that on the basis of the literature review, rituximab should be considered in TTP patients who fail to respond after 7–14 days of standard treatment with daily plasmapheresis and glucocorticoids.