INTRAVENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULIN TREATMENT IN HEMATOLOGICAL DISEASES

In the last decade large amounts of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) have been used worldwide. Doubts exist as to whether this increased us e is paralleled by a comparable growth of reliable data on the therape utic effectiveness of IVIg. We performed a literature search using MED LINE from January 1981 to January 1997 and analysed articles on the us e of IVIg in hematological disorders and searched for published guidel ines. For most hematological disorders, evidence to use IVIg as first line therapy is not very strong. For many disorders no controlled tria ls have been performed. In published guidelines, IVIg is only recommen ded, with a few exceptions, when other treatments have failed or are c ontraindicated. Therefore the increase of consumption of IVIg can not be explained by an increase in established indications in hematology.