Warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia with mimicking anti-e specificity causing intravascular hemolysis in a chronic ITP patient

Abstract

A 12-year-old male child presented to the emergency room with three days history of cola-colored urine, mild icterus, dyspnea, palpitation and fatigue. He had a history of chronic ITP two years ago and had since been on steroid for maintenance of platelet count. He was subsequently diagnosed as a case of warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Laboratory investigations were suggestive of intravascular hemolysis, and on immuno-hematological evaluation it was diagnosed that the patient had autoantibody with mimicking anti-e specificity. The specificity of autoantibody was further confirmed by adsorption study. The patient was successfully managed by transfusion of Rh(e)-negative red cells,steroid and rituximab therapy. So an autoantibody with mimicking anti-e specificity was identified in this case, which was significant in clinical point of view.