Case Report: Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia Treated With Plasmapheresis Before Living-Donor Kidney Transplantation

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious adverse effect of heparin. Additionally, although heparin can affect kidney transplantation, there only have been a few reports on this condition. Here, we report a case wherein surgery was safely performed with preoperative plasmapheresis in a patient with HIT.

The patient was a 48-year-old woman who was on dialysis because of immunoglobulin A nephropathy. Immediately after the initiation of dialysis, the patient experienced repeated arteriovenous fistula occlusion and thrombocytopenia and had a positive HIT antibody test result. Subsequently, she received an ABO-incompatible living-donor kidney transplantation from her spouse. The surgery was performed without using anticoagulants because HIT antibodies disappeared with preoperative plasmapheresis. Eighteen months after surgery, her kidney function remained stable, and there was no recurrence of HIT.

Preoperative plasmapheresis is useful for patients with HIT.