INTRODUCTION: There are two types of autoimmune haemolytic anemia, idiopathic or associated to other disorders (infections, thyroidal diseases, cancer.). The treatment of this particular anemia depends on the primary or secondary feature. EXEGESIS: We report the case of a 76-year old woman, presenting an autoimmune haemolytic anemia with a positive direct Coombs test in IgG. The corticodependance of this anemia after 6 months of treatment had indicated a splenectomy. During surgery, a gastric stromal tumor was discovered. After removal of the tumor and splenectomy, the haematological symptomatology quickely disappeared and induced the negativation of the Coombs test within a post operative period going from 7 to 14 months, without any immunosuppressor treatment. CONCLUSION: Splenectomy does not induce the negativation of a Coombs test in an autoimmune haemolytic anemia, someaning that there is a link between the anemia and the tumor. This observation is completed by a review the literature.
INTRODUCTION: There are two types of autoimmune haemolytic anemia, idiopathic or associated to other disorders (infections, thyroidal diseases, cancer.). The treatment of this particular anemia depends on the primary or secondary feature. EXEGESIS: We report the case of a 76-year old woman, presenting an autoimmune haemolytic anemia with a positive direct Coombs test in IgG. The corticodependance of this anemia after 6 months of treatment had indicated a splenectomy. During surgery, a gastric stromal tumor was discovered. After removal of the tumor and splenectomy, the haematological symptomatology quickely disappeared and induced the negativation of the Coombs test within a post operative period going from 7 to 14 months, without any immunosuppressor treatment. CONCLUSION: Splenectomy does not induce the negativation of a Coombs test in an autoimmune haemolytic anemia, someaning that there is a link between the anemia and the tumor. This observation is completed by a review the literature.