The American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) conducted a 1 day consensus conference on Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) during its annual meeting in Atlanta, GA, on April 10, 2012. The authors of this article, a subcommittee of ASFA's Clinical Applications Committee, developed several questions with regard to definitions, classification, pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, and future ...

In the summer of 1950, two hematology fellows working at the Barnes Hospital in St. Louis — William J. Harrington and James W. Hollings­ worth — hatched a plan to test their idea that the cause of the idiopathic thrombocytopenic pur­ pura (ITP) in a woman under their care was a factor in the blood that destroyed platelets. They decided that of the two fellows, the one whose blood type matched t...

Two adult cases of thrombohaemolytic thrombocytopenic purpura are described. Both showed striking morphological changes in the red cells with increased saline osmotic fragility, in addition to thrombocytopenia and generalized hyaline thrombi affecting small blood vessels. These changes support the hypothesis that this is a triple auto-immune disorder affecting red cells, platelets, and small bl...

Lenalidomide is a potent immunomodulatory agent being used increasingly for treatment of hematologic malignancies including multiple myeloma and myelodysplasia. The common toxicities of lenalidomide, including dose-limiting myelosuppression, are well described. However, the immunomodulatory properties of lenalidomide may give rise to unexpected autoimmune complications. Herein, we describe a ca...

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) patients are at high risk for bleeding complications regarding surgeries involving cardiopulmonary bypass. We report an ITP patient with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension who underwent uncomplicated pulmonary endarterectomy with receiving postoperative intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. The positive outcome of this case may suggest that ...

Situs inversus totalis is a rare congenital abnormality with mirror symmetry of mediastinal and abdominal organs. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura is an autoimmune disease with destruction of thrombocytes. This paper is presentation of surgical approach to a case with coexistence of these two conditions.

Cerebellar disorders associated with HIV infection are usually caused by opportunistic infections, central nervous system lymphoma, and toxic effects of medicines, nutritional and metabolic disorders, and cerebrovascular disease. We present an unusual association of cerebellar degeneration and immune thrombocytopenic purpura in a 28-years-old woman HIV infected. An autoimmune aetiology is likely.

A common misconception is that immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) causes only bleeding diathesis. From this case vignette of a young male with ITP who had cerebral venous thrombosis, we highlight the importance of considering venous thrombosis in such patients when they present with focal cerebral signs.

Background: Children with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura who are treated with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy might experience a decline in their absolute neutrophil count. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of neutropenia following intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in children with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura undergoing intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. ...

BACKGROUND Cotton wool spots are known to be a complication in patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura or with polymyositis. CASE A 53-year-old woman developed numerous cotton wool spots around the optic disc of both eyes. OBSERVATIONS Fluorescein angiography disclosed capillary obstruction and microaneurysms in the early phase, followed by dye leakage in the late phase. Systemica...