Abstract
We report a patient with thalassemia intermedia who developed a mediastinal syndrome due to the growth of paravertebral hematopoietic masses in the posterior mediastinum. Because the patient did not receive blood transfusions due to alloimmunization, she was first treated with human recombinant erythropoietin (escalating low-moderate doses) to recover hemoglobin levels, then in association with radiotherapy to prevent a worsening of her anemia. The mean Hb level dramatically increased and peaked at week 11, to 83 g/l, and remained unchanged before and after radiotherapy (81 versus 78 g/l). Immediately after radiotherapy extramedullary hematopoiesis volume decreased by 16.4%.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 12 December 1995 / Accepted: 7 March 1996
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cianciulli, P., Sorrentino, F., Morino, L. et al. Radiotherapy combined with erythropoietin for the treatment of extramedullary hematopoiesis in an alloimmunized patient with thalassemia intermedia. Ann Hematol 72, 379–381 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002770050190
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002770050190