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Very Prolonged Anti-D: Confusion Surrounding Alloimmunization After Extra Rh Immunoglobulin: A Case Report
Dalia Limor Karol1, Nadine Shehata2, Amanda Selk3
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON.
Background:
Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg) is usually detectable a maximum of 12 to 14 weeks after administration. Positive antibodies beyond this time frame suggests alloimmunization.
Case:
A woman had three pregnancies over a 6-month period, with two first-trimester losses. She received RhIg in the first pregnancy but not in the second. Two months after the second loss, in her third pregnancy, she received RhIg at week 6 due to first-trimester bleeding. She was subsequently anti-D antibody positive up to week 28 with antibodies too low to titre, leading to confusion about whether alloimmunization had occurred.
Conclusion:
Rh Ig administration led to positive anti-D antibodies lasting 22 weeks, suggesting keeping this differential diagnosis in mind when suspecting alloimmunization with positive antibodies at levels too low to titre.
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