Successful management of recurrent bleeding with tocilizumab in an acquired hemophilia A patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

ABSTRACT

A 61-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis was diagnosed as having acquired hemophilia A with extensive subcutaneous bleeding. The patient was treated with a corticosteroid, and her symptoms improved temporarily. However, these recurred during the tapering of her corticosteroid dose, and neither the re-increase in the dose nor the addition of cyclophosphamide could control her bleeding tendency. After the administration of an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody (tocilizumab), the doses of corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide could be tapered. Tocilizumab combined with another immunosuppression therapy might be effective in the treatment of acquired hemophilia A.