ABSTRACT
Parvovirus B19 is a small (26 nm), nonenveloped, single-stranded DNA (5.6-kb) virus. The only known host for parvovirus B19 is humans. Parvovirus B19 is directly cytotoxic to erythroid precursor cells of the colony- and burst-forming units. Human parvovirus B19 is the etiologic agent of erythema infectiosum and chronic pure red cell aplasia in immunocompromised individuals. Acute parvovirus B19 infection should be suspected in immunocompromised patients, who present with reticulocytopenic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is the standard treatment for parvovirus-induced cytopenias. We report two cases of postrenal transplant who presented with reticulocytopenic anemia and were found to have parvovirus infection. They did not respond to conventional treatment with intravenous gamma globulin. Both patients were treated with rituximab with which they had improvement in clinical and hematological parameters. There was no previous documentation of using rituximab in the treatment of parvovirus-triggered autoimmune hemolytic anemia postrenal transplant patients. This article illustrates how rituximab will be helpful in this setting, of course, it is a new thought but requires further studies and validation.
ABSTRACT
The abdominal vein thrombosis is an unusual and rare, but potentially a life threatening form of thrombosis. Much is known, studied and published about the venous thrombosis in the lower limbs and to some extent in upper limbs, where as the abdominal vein thrombosis still remains an unexplored area. The diagnosis of abdominal venous thrombosis has increased with awareness of the entity and the availability of better imaging modalities. Despite advances made in the management of venous thrombosis, the knowledge of events predisposing to abdominal thrombosis is largely unknown. This gap in knowledge needs to be studied and analyzed for better patient management. The study aims at analysing various risk factors in patients of abdominal venous thrombosis.
