Abstract
Immune hemolytic anemia is characterized by clinical and laboratory features of hemolytic
anemia with direct antiglobulin test (DAT) positivity. It could be autoimmune hemolytic
anemia (AIHA), alloimmune, or drug-induced hemolysis based on the antigenic stimulus.
Furthermore, based on thermal amplitude of autoantibody, AIHA is classified as warm
(65%), cold (30%), and mixed (5%) type. Mixed AIHA is extremely rare in children and
must be differentiated from warm AIHA with clinically insignificant cold agglutinins
and cold hemagglutinin disease as their treatment is different. It may present as
blood group discrepancy or cross-match incompatibility leading to delay in arranging
suitable blood unit for transfusion. Therefore, a thorough immunohematology workup
including monospecific DAT, indirect antiglobulin test at 4°C and 37°C, determination
of thermal amplitude and titer is essential. We hereby present two pediatric cases
of mixed AIHA presenting as ABO forward and reverse blood group discrepancy and cross-match
incompatibility.
Key words
Autoantibody - autoimmune hemolytic anemia - best match blood - direct antiglobulin
test - transfusion