Abstract

FERNANDEZ-MERJILDO, Diana; ZEGARRA PIEROLA, Jaime; HEREDIA ORBEGOSO, Omar  and  MEZA GARCIA, Mónica. Exchange transfusion to treat dapsone-induced methemoglobinemia: A case report. Rev Med Hered [online]. 2016, vol.27, n.4, pp.243-246. ISSN 1018-130X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.20453/rmh.v27i4.2994.

Dapsone is a sulphone used for a variety of dermatologic conditions including pemphigus. Methemoglobinemia is a potentially lethal syndrome due to a diminished supply of oxygen from blood to tissues, the acquired form is the most frequent presentation and it is a recognized adverse effect of dapsone. We report the case of a male patient with pemphigus treated with dapsone that developed cyanosis, dyspnea and shock in the presence of elevated concentrations of methemoglobin (21%). Initial treatment included oxygen, invasive ventilatory support and intravenous administration of methylene blue, but due to lack of response, exchange transfusion was performed with optimal response, serum level of methemoglobin after the procedure was 2.3%.

Keywords : Exchange transfusion; whole blood; methemoglobinemia; dapsone.

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