Primary chronic cold agglutinin disease (CAD) is a clonal lymphoproliferative disorder accounting for 13-15% of autoimmune haemolytic anaemias. Significant advances have been made in treatment, which was largely unsuccessful until recently. The essential clinical, immunological and pathological features are reviewed, focusing on their relevance for therapy. Non-pharmacological management still ...

Cold agglutinins are autoantibodies and are often present in the sera of healthy individuals. They assume importance when the thermal reactivity of these antibodies approaches body temperature. This communication describes a case of cold hemagglutinin disease with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection detected during routine laboratory investigations. The patient was managed conservatively.

Cold agglutinin disease arising in the context of chronic lymphocytic leukemia can misdiagnose a warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

A male, 47, developed chronic hemolytic anemia in association with hi9h titers of cold agglutinins in 1 966. His symptpm of the cold agglutinin syndrome began in 1 951 with cyanosis of the extremities nd face after exposure to cold. In 1 956, hemoglobinuna was first noted after chilling. In 1 962, the cold agglutinin titer was 1 : 1 6,000, and his red cells were coated with complement globulins...