[Plasmapheresis treatment in systemic autoimmune disorders]

It is necessary to rethink, from time to time, the efficacy of various treatment methods and, consequently, their place in the curing of certain pathological conditions. History of the development of methods throws a light on the fact that it is not always a question to be solved that brings about research; but there are cases when a technique realized for a totally different purpose is being used as a therapeutic process. In autoimmune illnesses, the plasmapheresis therapy is not of recent origin; in spite of that, however, a number of experiences, collected in the treatment of illnesses having divergent pathological symptoms, is not sufficient in itself to establish effectiveness without random double-blind tests. Intervention trying to obtain results under any circumstances (heroic medicine) is to be avoided. When evaluating results in general, however, we must take into consideration the proportion of costs also (cost/benefit principle).