RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Plasma exchange in neurological disease
JF Practical Neurology
JO Pract Neurol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 92
OP 99
DO 10.1136/practneurol-2019-002336
VO 20
IS 2
A1 Chinar Osman
A1 Rachel Jennings
A1 Khaled El-Ghariani
A1 Ashwin Pinto
YR 2020
UL http://pn.bmj.com/content/20/2/92.abstract
AB Plasma exchange is a highly efficient technique to remove circulating autoantibodies and other humoral factors rapidly from the vascular compartment. It was the first effective acute treatment for peripheral disorders such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and myasthenia gravis before intravenous immunoglobulin became available. The recent recognition of rapidly progressive severe antibody-mediated central nervous system disorders, such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor encephalitis, has renewed interest in using plasma exchange for their acute treatment also. In this review we explain the principles and technical aspects of plasma exchange, review its current indications, and discuss the implications for its provision in the UK.