Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: A Challenging Complication of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant

Cureus. 2024 Nov 15;16(11):e73752. doi: 10.7759/cureus.73752. eCollection 2024 Nov.

Abstract

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is an uncommon but recognized complication of a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Management challenges include the absence of established guidelines and variable response rates to first-line treatments. We present a case series of three patients, all submitted to HSCT for non-oncologic diseases, who developed AIHA as a complication in the following months. All three were resistant to first-line treatments and required several lines of therapy to achieve a hematological response. Although new treatments have been proposed in refractory cases, multicenter studies and management guidelines are warranted to better characterize this disease and help clinicians.

Keywords: autoimmune hemolytic anemia (aiha); complication of treatment; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (hsct); management challenges; rituximab therapy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports