[Idiopathic cold agglutinin disease. Clinical aspects, therapy and course in 6 patients]

Clinical features, diagnostic procedure, therapy, course of the disease and prognosis in 6 patients with severe idiopathic chronic cold agglutinin disease are described. In 5 patients the main complaint was cold mediated acrocyanosis. The cold agglutinin in all patients was of anti-I type and belonged to IgM immunoglobulin. Keeping warm provided symptomatic relief and the hemolysis decreased to a milder form. Treatment with glucocorticoids alone failed in two patients but succeeded in combination with chlorambucil or cyclophosphamid. One patient developed a lymphoproliferative disorder 11 years after diagnosis of idiopathic chronic cold agglutinin disease.