Background: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by a low platelet count and mucocutaneous bleeding. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura is classified as primary or as secondary to an underlying disorder and as acute (of six months or less in duration) or chronic. The diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenic purpura remains one of exclusion. Prednisone (1 mg per kilogram of body weight) is the conventional initial therapy for patients who have more severe thrombocytopenia.

Aims: The aim of this case report is to better understand ITP, including the clinical features and treatment outcome.

Methods: The data was taken from the patient files in the Hematology clinic of the clinical university center of Kosovo. The patient included in the report was diagnosed with ITP with the exclusion of other secondary causes of ITP including autoimmune disease and hematological disease. The patient was treated with the standard therapy for ITP.

Results: The patient D.H, female presented with mucocutaneous bleeding and a thrombocyte count of 36 x 10³/mm³. The immunological profile including ANA, anti-dsDNA and other markers were all negative. The viral antibody titers were negative for IgM accept for CMV IgG which was positive. The blood smear, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy no hematological disease. The patient was started on corticosteroids but the treatment was not satisfactory.

Conclusions: The patient was initially treated with prednisone for 3 weeks but the thrombocyte count did not increase. For this reason the patient was treated with Rituximab once a week. Even after taking 3 doses of Rituximab improvement. After that she was started with Azathioprine 100mg once a day.

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ISTH Congress Abstracts - https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/immune-thrombocytopenic-purpura-a-case-report/