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Category:

Immune Hemolytic Disorders

Number of Conditions: 1

Cold Agglutinin Disease

Specialty: Hematology

Category: Immune Hemolytic Disorders

Sub-category: Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia

Symptoms:
fatigue; dark urine; jaundice; cold-induced acrocyanosis; pain in extremities; anemia-related weakness

Root Cause:
Autoantibodies bind to red blood cells at low temperatures, causing hemolysis.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
CBC, direct antiglobulin test (Coombs test), cold agglutinin titer, and peripheral blood smear.

Treatment:
Avoiding cold exposure, immunosuppressive therapy, plasmapheresis, and rituximab.

Medications:
Rituximab (monoclonal antibody), corticosteroids, and in some cases, immunosuppressants like cyclophosphamide .

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; incidence is estimated to be 1 case per million annually.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Older age, underlying infections (e.g., mycoplasma pneumonia), or lymphoproliferative disorders.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with management; severe hemolysis requires lifelong care.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Severe anemia, thromboembolism, and organ damage due to hemolysis.