ITP

Question 1

What is ITP?

Answer 1

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a haematological disorder characterised by isolated thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100 × 10⁹/L [<100 × 10³/microlitre]) in the absence of an identifiable cause.

Question 2

What are the risk factors of ITP?

Answer 2

> Women of child bearing age

> Age <10 or >65

Question 3

What are the signs and symptoms of ITP?

Answer 3

> bleeding

> absence of systemic symptoms, medicines that cause thrombocytopenia, splenomegaly/ hepatomegaly, lymphadenopathy

Question 4

What is the epidemiology of ITP?

Answer 4

In Europe, adult ITP has an incidence of 1.6 to 3.9 cases in 100,000 per year, with increasing incidence with older age and a higher female-to-male ratio (3:1) in younger patients.

Question 5

What investigations would you do for ITP?

Answer 5

FBC and peripheral smear- platelet count <100 x 10^9 /L