Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura in Childhood

Abstract

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a bleeding disorder and is traditionally divided in acute and chronic forms based on the duration of the disease. Chronic ITP is characterized by a persistence of thrombocytopenia for more than 6 months. Ten to 20% of children with ITP and almost all adults will develop the chronic condition. Pathophysiology of chronic ITP suggests an autoimmune process and a dysregulated immune response. There are no risk factors to predict the clinical course of ITP. Controlled clinical trials are needed to clarify many diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of chronic ITP, as recently stated by a panel of pediatric and adult hematologists on behalf of The American Society of Hematology (ASH). In this article, we will focus on pathophysiological, diagnostic, and management aspects of chronic childhood ITP.

Keywords:

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura - child - chronic - autoantibodies