Infusion of vincristine-loaded platelets in acute ITP refractory to steroids: an alternative to splenectomy.

Three infusions of vincristine-loaded platelets were carried out in a young man with acute idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) refractory to steroids. This procedure, used until now only for chronic refractory ITP, insured a remission without side effects. After 2 years of follow-up the patient has not had relapse. A potentially dangerous splenectomy was thus avoided in a phase of the disease in which a spontaneous remission was still very probable.