Successful treatment of a patient with refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura in systemic lupus erythematosus with rituximab.

ABSTRACT

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is one of the complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Although corticosteroids are usually selected for initial therapy, some patients are corticosteroid-resistant and, therefore, require other immunosuppressants or splenectomy. However, the best treatment approach in such patients remains unknown, and there is little evidence regarding which immunosuppressive agent can provide best results. We report the case of a patient with corticosteroid-resistant SLE-associated ITP (SLE-ITP) who was successfully treated with rituximab (RTX). RTX might be a therapeutic option for corticosteroid-resistant SLE-ITP.