Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (ttp)


General or Other | Hematology | Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (ttp) (Disease)


Description

Purpura may occur at any age, children are most often diagnosed (even consider a peak of incidence) between 1-6 years, while adults (the second peak of incidence) between 30-40 years. Most cases registered in children are boys and adult incidence changes, women are more commonly affected. Disease onset at age over 60 years is very rare and unusual situations such specialists in rather insisting that there is another etiology of thrombocytopenia.

The main signs and symptoms that the patient manifests are: the appearance of purpura and petechiae, particularly in the extremities; epistaxis; bleeding gums; hematoma localized in the mouth and mucous membranes; gastrointestinal bleeding or other internal bleeding; sometimes the patient may be present even in very serious condition, they have already appeared subarachnoid or intracerebral hemorrhage.

Causes and Risk factors

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura is a clinical syndrome due to reduction in platelets (platelets) assets (a condition called thrombocytopenia) which is manifested by a tendency to bleeding, spontaneous occurrence of hematoma and bruising (purpura) or erythrocyte extravasation from capillaries in the subcutaneous tissue and mucous membranes (and visible appearance of petechiae).

Patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura platelets are covered by antibodies, which cause their splenic sequestration and phagocytosis by mononuclear macrophages. These events will significantly reduce the life of circulating platelets, while the body is unable to increase synthesis (to cover the deficit in blood). These two factors (destruction and insufficient production) cause clinical signs of thrombocytopenia and clinical them. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura is also known as idiopathic purpura, because its cause is not yet elucidated.

Purpura is a dangerous disease mainly through its associated comorbidities, results of initial thrombocytopenia. Hemorrhage is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity of these patients long term, while the various locations of the intracranial bleeding often puts the biggest problems.

Diagnosis and Treatment

In the positive diagnosis clinicians often have to exclude other diseases and other causes could be the origin of the occurrence of thrombocytopenia, such as leukemia, spinal marrow infiltration mieloftizica, myelodysplasia, aplastic anemia and various secondary reactions to drugs. ...