Have a health question? Get reliable answers here.
Q: I have a close friend who told me that she has a disorder known as Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia. Neither she nor I know anything about this disorder. I have searched lightly through the internet for information on ITP and have been unable to get the information she wants. Could you please tell us something about it?
A: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura(ITP) is a disorder usually characterized by hemolytic anemia( decreased red blood cell count due to decreased survival of the red blood cells), decreased platelet count(thrombocytopenia), kidney abnormalities, neurologic(nervous system) abnormalities, and fever (even though an infection is not present). The cause of the disease is actually not known with certainty. However, platelet antibodies(i.e., substances which destroy platelets) have been found in the blood of most patients with this disorder. This disease appears slightly more frequently in women than men, mostly in patients between 20 and 50 years of age. It may appear suddenly(acute) or may be of gradual onset and intermittent in nature, disappearing and then again appearing later and lasting weeks, months, or years. Patients with this disease usually present to the physician because of anemia(decreased red blood cell count), bleeding(due to the decreased platelet count), and abnormalities of the nervous system. Some of the symptoms due to the nervous system being affected include, for example, headaches, confusion, alterations in the level of consciousness, etc. In addition, the patient has fever, and frequently also presents with areas of bluish skin color due to bleeding.
Treatment of sudden onset ITP presently consists of plasmapheresis, i.e., removal of plasma in the blood of the patient, with simulataneously addition of normal blood plasma(plasmapheresis). This treatment is continued every day until the disease disappears. Other therapies employed in the treatment of this disease include prednisone, aspirin, and dipyridamole. Other treatments include removal of the spleen and therapy with substances that suppress the immune system. Finally, platelet transfusion may be used in trating life-threatening bleeding, but should not be used in the absence of severe bleeding.
Because of the successes obtained with plasmapheresis, about 80 to 90% of patients with the disease now totally recover. However, although in most of these cases the disease does not return, in about 20% of the cases the disease again returns, requiring further treatment.
Updated: 09/12/99
Click Here to ask a MDAdvice.com doctor your medical question.
