Plasma exchange is a treatment modality which selectively removes plasma when pathogenic materials are present in the plasma. In Korea, plasma exchange has been increasingly used as a adjuvant treatment modality for various diseases since early
1980's.
Authors report the experience of therapeutic plasma exchanges at the Seoul National University Hospital during the past 5 years (June 1988 to June 1993).
We routinely exchanged one plasma volume of patient at one procedure. A total of 161 procedures were done for 26 male and 31 female patients (2.8 procedures per patient). Major indications were myasthenia gravis (32 patients), Guillain-Barre
syndrome(10
patients), multiple myeloma (3 patients), and Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (2 patients). Other indications were amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuro-pathy, Eaton-Lambert syndrome with lung cancer, focal
segmental glomerulosclerosis, renal allograft rejcetion, liver clrrhosis, polyneuropathy with monoclonal gammopathy polymyositis, progressive systemic sclerosis and subacute sensory neuropathy. Effect of plasma exchange was evaluated by the
physician in
charge on the basis of changes in clinical and laboratory findings after plasma exchange. Except for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and subacute sensory neuropathy, most patients showed clinical improvements after plasma exchange. Seven patients
had
adverse reactions, such as mild itching sense (1), perioral tingling sensation (1), hypotension (3), poor general condition (1) and anaphylaxis (1), during and immediately after the procedures.
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