Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Follow-up
- Author: Donald A Dibbern Jr, MD; Chief Editor: Michael A Kaliner, MD more...
Further Inpatient Care
- Patients with severe infections, bleeding, or malignancies may require hospitalization for intravenous antibiotics, for monitoring and/or transfusions, or for oncologic care, respectively.
Further Outpatient Care
- Patients must receive close pediatric or medical follow-up, specialized allergy and immunology care, and, often, hematology or oncology care.
Inpatient & Outpatient Medications
- Patients with WAS often need antibiotics for recurrent infections, either in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Patients who had a splenectomy usually require daily prophylactic antibiotics.[25, 45]
Transfer
- Patients may need evaluation, and sometimes transfer, to a referral center with expertise in pediatric immunodeficiencies.
Deterrence/Prevention
- Genetic testing and prenatal diagnosis are options that may contribute to decreased occurrence of this condition.
Complications
- Complications from infection, bleeding, and malignancy characterize WAS.
- Autoimmune and rheumatologic conditions may also occur.[46] One study found these conditions in 40% of patients, and often multiple conditions coexisted in the same patient. Patients with autoimmune disease were significantly more likely to develop malignancy.[2] Another review of 55 patients with WAS from a single hospital in France, over 20 years, found autoimmune or inflammatory conditions in 72%, most commonly autoimmune hemolytic anemia (see Donath-Landsteiner Hemolytic Anemia and Cold Agglutinin Disease), among multiple other conditions.[47]
Prognosis
- Long-term prognosis had been poor; prior to use of stem cell transplantation, few patients survived beyond their teens and most succumbed to complications of bleeding, infection, or malignancy.[48] Median survival in a cohort of patients born after 1964 was 6.5 years, although survival rates have continued to increase over time.[22]
- With aggressive care, prognosis may substantially improve. One study projects median survival of 25 years for patients who undergo splenectomy, and even longer for patients who undergo successful bone marrow transplant.[25] Success rates of all categories of stem cell transplantation (HLA-identical, matched/related, matched/unrelated, umbilical cord blood) have also continued to climb over time.[27, 26]
Patient Education
- Educate patients about the function of their platelets and their immune system and about signs and symptoms that require prompt medical attention, including those seen with infections, bleeding, and malignancy.
- Advise patients to appropriately restrict activities, depending on the severity of thrombocytopenia (eg, protective headgear may be indicated).
- Teach patients excellent general skin care and moisturization to manage eczema.
- Refer women known to be carriers for WAS for genetic counseling, and advise them that prenatal diagnosis is available.
- For excellent patient education resources, visit eMedicine's Skin, Hair, and Nails Center. Also, see eMedicine's patient education article Eczema.
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