Fluctuating anaemia in treated HIV patients: could be a PICA?

Abstract

HIV infected patients are frequently exposed to anaemia, due to antiretroviral agents and/or prophylactic treatment of opportunistic infections. Anemia due to PICA, unusually evoked in our western countries, could be a more frequent situation than imagined. We report two cases of fluctuating anemia with no HIV or iatrogenic origin, observed in two HIV infected women, 47 years old and 33 years old respectively, coming from Africa and treated with antiretroviral agents. The anemia was explained by a culturally sanctioned practice of kaolin ingestion, in the broader context of PICA and resolved after the withdrawal of kaolin ingestion. PICA, and in particular kaolin ingestion, must be investigated when HIV infected patients came from Africa and presented significative unexplained anemia.

• Authors: Faiza Ajana, Armelle Pasquet, Marine Auffret, Sophie Gautier
• Journal: Therapie (Therapie) 2013 Jan-Feb Vol. 68 Issue 1 Pg. 49-51 ISSN: 0040-5957 [Print] France
• PMID: 23484661 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2013 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

Chemical References

• Anti-HIV Agents
• Kaolin

Topics

• Adult
• Africa (ethnology)
• Anemia (etiology)
• Anti-HIV Agents (therapeutic use)
• Female
• France
• HIV Infections (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Kaolin (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Middle Aged
• Pica (complications)