A study of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) patients over a ten-year period.

Adult idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder caused by antiplatelet autoantibodies that cause platelet destruction by the reticuloendothelial system. The disease has been well-documented in the West. We studied 78 ITP patients diagnosed and followed up in a tertiary hospital, over a 10-year period, to give a profile of our local patients and their response to treatment. The majority of patients were females and fall in the 20 to 39 years age group. 21.8% were asymptomatic at presentation. The mean presenting platelet count was 31 x 10(9)/L. Complete response rate to steroid treatment was 46.7%. Thirty-seven patients (47.4%) underwent splenectomy with a success rate of 64.9%. 6.4% required multiple drugs to maintain a stable platelet count. There was no spontaneous, long-term remission in this series. 10.3% of our patients eventually developed an autoimmune disease. ITP has a variable clinical course and treatment has to be highly individualised.