| Literature DB >> 28152445 |
Antonio Pecoraro1, Ludovica Crescenzi2, Laura Carucci2, Arturo Genovese2, Giuseppe Spadaro2.
Abstract
Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs represent the first-line treatment of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA, former Churg-Strauss syndrome), even though the combined therapy is not successful in achieving the disease remission in some patients with neurological or cardiac involvement. We describe a case of an EGPA male patient with impaired left ventricular function not responsive to glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive therapy. We observed that high-dose (2g/kg/4weeks) intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy significantly improved cardiac function, which was deteriorated after reducing IVIG dose at 0.5g/kg/4weeks, and was restored increasing again IVIG dose to 2g/kg/4weeks. The finding highlights the relevance of IVIG as treatment of choice in EGPA patients with cardiac involvement not responsive to the standard glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive therapy. Moreover, at a follow-up of 24months, the continuance of high dose IVIG therapy was required to maintain a sustained remission of the heart failure.Entities:
Keywords: Cardiac involvement; Churg-Strauss syndrome; EGPA; Heart failure; IVIG
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Year: 2017 PMID: 28152445 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2017.01.025
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Int Immunopharmacol ISSN: 1567-5769 Impact factor: 4.932