Apheresis.

The removal of pathologic humors by various methods is an ancient medical remedy used in the management of diseases whose pathophysiology is poorly understood and whose effective treatment modalities are lacking. The contemporary means for such an approach involves apheresis, which is now possible due to advances in blood banking technologies. Apheresis has been used in most of the major rheumatic diseases, in particular systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Although numerous case reports describe clinical benefits of apheresis in rheumatologic disorders, data from clinical trials are discouraging and suggest a limited role for apheresis in rheumatic disease management.