Intravenous immune globulin use in patients with human immunodeficiency virus-related thrombocytopenia who require dental extraction.

Five patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related immune thrombocytopenia who were undergoing dental extraction were treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). All patients received IVIG, 1 gram per kg, the day before the dental extraction and again the day of the dental extraction. Four patients had a previous history of minor clinical bleeding. The median baseline platelet count before extraction was 20 X 10(9) per liter (range 13 to 44). The median peak platelet count was 100 X 10(9) per liter (range 56 to 528) following infusion. This peak response was achieved by day 2 in 3 patients and by days 5 and 7 in 1 patient each. No patients had complications or toxicity from the infusions or perioperative bleeding. No patients required blood product transfusions for the surgical procedure. In conclusion, IVIG infusion should be considered in patients with HIV-related immune thrombocytopenia requiring surgical procedures when a prompt rise in platelet count is desired.