Refractory thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in a 16-year-old girl: successful treatment with bortezomib

We present a case of a 16-year-old girl with autoimmune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), refractory to plasma exchange and high-dose prednisone. Despite the additional treatment with rituximab, she developed renal and neurological complications with ongoing hemolysis and thrombocytopenia. Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor and thereby blocking plasma cells, was added, and our patient recovered. We suggest that bortezomib can be of additional value in severe immunologically mediated TTP in adolescents. Its use may prevent the necessity of other invasive therapies, such as splenectomy, with significant side effects.