Question: What is (are) Cold agglutinin disease ?
Answer: Cold agglutinin disease is a rare type of autoimmune hemolytic anemia in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys its own red blood cells. When affected people's blood is exposed to cold temperatures (32 to 50 F), certain proteins that normally attack bacteria (IgM antibodies) attach themselves to red blood cells and bind them together into clumps (agglutination). This eventually causes red blood cells to be prematurely destroyed (hemolysis) leading to anemia and other associated signs and symptoms. Cold agglutinin disease can be primary (unknown cause) or secondary, due to an underlying condition such as an infection, another autoimmune disease, or certain cancers. Treatment depends on many factors including the severity of the condition, the signs and symptoms present in each person, and the underlying cause.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Cold agglutinin disease ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Cold agglutinin disease? Cold agglutinin disease is a rare type of autoimmune hemolytic anemia in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys its own red blood cells. When affected people's blood is exposed to cold temperatures (32 to 50 F), certain proteins that normally attack bacteria (IgM antibodies) attach themselves to red blood cells and bind them together into clumps (agglutination). The antibodies then activate other components of the blood, which eventually causes red blood cells to be prematurely destroyed. As the number or red blood cells drop, affected people typically experience anemia, which may be associated with pallor, weakness, fatigue, irritability, headaches, and/or dizziness. Other signs and symptoms of cold agglutinin disease vary, but may include: Painful fingers and toes with purplish discoloration Abnormal behavior Amenorrhea Gastrointestinal issues Dark urine Enlargement of the spleen Jaundice Heart failure Shock The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Cold agglutinin disease. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Arthralgia 90% Autoimmunity 90% Hemolytic anemia 90% Muscle weakness 90% Pallor 90% Abnormality of urine homeostasis 7.5% Diarrhea 7.5% Hepatomegaly 7.5% Lymphadenopathy 7.5% Migraine 7.5% Nausea and vomiting 7.5% Splenomegaly 7.5% The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: What causes Cold agglutinin disease ?
Answer: What causes cold agglutinin disease? Cold agglutinin disease is typically classified as primary (unknown cause) or secondary (caused by an underlying condition). Secondary cold agglutinin disease may be associated with: Bacterial Infections such as mycoplasma, Legionnaires' disease, syphilis, listeriosis, or E. Coli Viral infections such Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, mumps, varicella, rubella, adenovirus, HIV, influenza, or hepatitis C Parasitic infections such as malaria or trypanosomiasis Other autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus Certain types of cancers such as lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Waldenstrm macroglobulinemia, multiple myeloma, and Kaposi sarcoma
Source: GARD

Question: How to diagnose Cold agglutinin disease ?
Answer: How is cold agglutinin disease diagnosed? A diagnosis of cold agglutinin disease may be made after several types of tests are performed by a health care provider. In some cases, the diagnosis is first suspected by chance if a routine complete blood count (CBC) detects abnormal clumping (agglutination) of the red blood cells. In most cases, the diagnosis is based on evidence of hemolytic anemia (from symptoms and/or blood tests). A person may also be physically examined for spleen or liver enlargement. An antiglobulin test (called the Coombs test) may be performed to determine the presence of a specific type of antibody. In people with cold agglutinin disease, the Coomb's test is almost always positive for immunoglobulin M (IgM). Detailed information about the various tests used to make a diagnosis of cold agglutinin disease is available on Medscape Reference's Web site. Please click on the link to access this resource.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Cold agglutinin disease ?
Answer: How might cold agglutinin disease be treated? The treatment of cold agglutinin disease depends on many factors including the severity of the condition, the signs and symptoms present in each person, and the underlying cause. For example, in those affected by secondary cold agglutinin disease, it is important to diagnose and treat the underlying condition which may include certain types of cancer; bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections; and/or other autoimmune disease. People with few symptoms and/or mild anemia may not require any specific treatment. These cases are often managed by simply avoiding exposure to the cold. In severe cases, medical interventions may be necessary. Rituximab (an antibody that selectively reduces specific types of immune cells) may be recommended either alone or in combination with other medications for people with severe hemolysis. Plasmapheresis, which involves filtering blood to remove antibodies, and/or blood transfusions may be an option for temporary relief of severe symptoms. Other therapies exist; however, they have been used with variable success. Medscape Reference's Web site offers more specific information about these alternative treatments. Please click on the link to access this resource.
Source: GARD