Question

NS is a 32-year-old female who had been sick with a cold virus for 10 days. She states that she had flu symptoms of cough, sore throat, and fatigue. It has been 3 weeks since the cold, and she continues to be fatigued and finds it hard to get enough energy to do things. NS says she has noted that she has been bruising easily. She hit her arm accidentally on the edge of a counter, and now she has a large bruise. She has also noted little purple spots all over her hands and chest. On exam it is noted that she does have a large bruise on her right arm and petechiae and purpura over her chest and hands. Lab work comes back with a platelet count of 40,000mm^3.

Required:
NS has been diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Explain what it is and who can get it.

Answer 1

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or ITP is also known as Immune thrombocytopenic purpura that is a disorder in which there is an abnormality in the clotting of blood due to a decreasing number of platelets in an individual.

Platelets plays role in clotting the blood to prevent bleeding so this disorder leads to easy bruising, bleeding gums, and internal bleeding. It is an autoimmune disorder as in this case, an immune reaction takes place against one's own platelets.

It occurs in all age and sex groups however, it occurs normally in young children and females more often.