Definition:
Autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (or ATP) is a rare blood disorder where a low number of platelets prevents the blood's ability to clot and results in bleeding into the skin and mucous membranes.
Diagnosis:
The diagnosis of ITP is one of exclusion, where one has to make sure that there are no other blood abnormalities except for low platelet count and no physical signs except for signs of bleeding. Then, the secondary causes (often 5-10% of suspected ITP cases) should be excluded. Secondary causes could be leukemia, medications, lupus erythematosus, cirrhosis, HIV, hepatitis C, congenital causes, antiphospholipid syndrome, von Willebrand factor deficiency and others.
Treatment:
Some treatments for ATP include steroids, splenectomy, anti-D, steroid-sparing agents, and platelet transfusions.
Symptoms and Signs:
Some symptoms include: bleeding into the skin, bleeding into the mucous membranes, nosebleed, gastrointestinal bleeding, genitourinary bleeding, vaginal bleeding, anemia, weakness, fatigue, congestive heart failure, fever, and enlarged spleen.
Causes:
In many cases, the cause is not actually idiopathic but autoimmune, with antibodies against platelets being found in approximately 60% of patients. Typically, these antibodies are against platelet membrane glycoproteins IIb-IIIa or Ib-IX, and are of the IgG type.
