Organizing Pneumonia in a Case of Cold Agglutinin Disease with Pulmonary Thrombosis

Intern Med. 2024 Jun 15;63(12):1801-1806. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.2368-23. Epub 2023 Nov 13.

Abstract

Cold agglutinin disease is a subtype of autoimmune hemolytic anemia that occurs via the activation of specific anti-red blood cell antibodies (agglutinins) at low temperatures. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia has been reported to cause interstitial pneumonia; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We herein report a 46-year-old man diagnosed with cold agglutinin disease complicated by pulmonary thrombosis and organizing pneumonia. Treatment with prednisolone improved the course of cold agglutinin disease and organizing pneumonia in a similar manner. To our knowledge, this is the first report of cold agglutinin associated with organizing pneumonia, suggesting a potential link between the two.

Keywords: air space consolidation; autoimmune hemolytic anemia; direct Coombs test; haptoglobin; interstitial pneumonia; kappa light chain.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune* / complications
  • Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune* / diagnosis
  • Anemia, Hemolytic, Autoimmune* / drug therapy
  • Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia / complications
  • Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia / diagnosis
  • Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia / diagnostic imaging
  • Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Organizing Pneumonia
  • Prednisolone* / therapeutic use
  • Thrombosis / complications
  • Thrombosis / diagnosis
  • Thrombosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Thrombosis / etiology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Prednisolone