Abstract
Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) is a term which describes the association of hemolytic anemia with red cell fragmentation caused by microangiopathy mechanically. This paper reports a 45 year-old woman with bone metastases from breast cancer. She developed MAHA and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Although the prognosis of MAHA associated with malignant tumor has been very poor, she achieved remission of the syndrome after chemoendocrine therapy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- MAHA:
-
Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia
- TTP:
-
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
- DIC:
-
Disseminated intravascular coagulation
- FDP:
-
Fibrinogen degradation products
- CEA:
-
Carcinoembryonic antigen
- MPA:
-
Medroxyprogesterone acetate
References
Brain MC, Dacie JV, Hourihane DO’B: Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia; The possible role of vascular lesions in pathogenesis.Br J Haematol 8:358- 374, 1962.
Sathawarawong W: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP); 4 cases reports and review of the literature.J Med Assoc Thai 78:322–331, 1995.
Antman KH, Skarin AT, Mayer RJ,et al: Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and cancer; A review.Medicine 58:377–384, 1979.
Japan Mammary Cancer Society: General Rules for Clinical and Pathological Record of Mammary Cancer, 11th ed, Kanehara, Tokyo, 1992.
Lohrmann HP, Adam W, Heymer,et al: Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia in metastatic carcinoma.Ann Intern Med 79:368–375, 1973.
Brain MC, Azzopardi JG, Baker LRI,et al: Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and mucin-forming adenocarcinoma.Br J Haematol 18:183–193, 1970.
Bull BS, Rubenberg ML, Dacie JV,et al: Microangiopathic haemolytic anemia; Mechanisms of red cell fragmentationin vitro studies.Br J Haematol 14:643- 652, 1968.
Hilgard P, Gordon-Smith EC: Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia and experimental tumour-cell emboli.Br J Haematol 26:651–659, 1974.
Rauch AE, Tartaglia AP, Kaufman B,et al: RBC fragmentation and thymoma.Arch Intern Med 144: 1280–1282, 1984.
Lin Y-C, Chang H-K, Sun C-F,et al: Microangiopathic haemolytic anemia as an initial presentation of metastatic cancer of unknown primary origin.South Med J 88:683–687, 1995.
Rodenburg CJ, Noony MA, Briët E: Microangiopathic haemolytic anemia with advanced breast carcinoma; Improvement with chemotherapy.Neth J Med 28:169- 171, 1985.
Nordström B, Strang P: Microangiopathic haemolytic anemia (MAHA) in cancer; A case report and review.Anticancer Res 13:1845–1850, 1993.
Collins PW, Jones L, Pocock C,et al: Microangiopathic haemolysis associated with occult carcinoma.Clin Lab Haematol 13:245–249, 1991.
Yamamoto H, Noguchi S, Miyauchi K: Changes in hematologic parameters during treatment with medroxyprogesterone acetate for breast cancer.Jpn J Cancer Res 82:420–425, 1991.
Japan Advanced Breast Cancer Group and Japan Clinical Oncology Group: Effects of chemoendocrine therapy on the coagulation-fibrinolytic systems in patients with advanced breast cancer.Jpn J Cancer Res 84:455–461, 1993.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Narita, M., Nakao, K., Ogino, N. et al. A case of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia associated with breast cancer: Improvement with chemoendocrine therapy. Breast Cancer 4, 39–42 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02967054
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02967054