Abstract
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in an infant is often refractory to conventional treatment, requiring the prolonged administration of immunosuppressive therapy. However, high-dose corticosteroids can cause severe adverseevents, especially for infants. Therefore, an alternative therapy for refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia is needed. Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody for CD20, has recently been used for the treatment of autoimmune disorders, but there have not been any reports of an infant treated with rituximab in Japan. We encountered a 3-month-old boy with autoimmune hemolytic anemia requiring high-dose steroid administration. To avoid complication from prolonged administration of high-dose steroids, we initiated rituximab treatment when the patient was 6 mo old. Hemolytic anemia improved dramatically, and there were no severe adverse effects. There are no laboratory data indicating hemolysis 1 yr after rituximab treatment was initiated.
