Successful treatment by tocilizumab without steroid in a very severe case of TAFRO syndrome

Successful use of tocilizumab (TCZ) to treat TAFRO syndrome has recently been reported. In those cases, TCZ was used with steroid. We present herein the case of a 59-year-old man with very severe TAFRO syndrome who was successfully treated using TCZ without steroid. He showed rapidly progressive anasarca, acute renal failure and very severe thrombocytopenia. We initially used steroid, but its efficacy was limited. Moreover, steroid use had to be stopped as soon as possible, because hemorrhagic shock developed due to severe duodenal ulcer. After overcoming infections (about 40 days after stopping steroid), administration of TCZ was started and the patient was discharged in clinical remission.