Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in childhood: a population-based study in Qatar

Abstract

Objective: To find the pattern of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) (acute/chronic) and to describe presenting features and clinical characteristics of the disease in children below 14 years of age in a newly developed Arabian society.Method: This retrospective, descriptive study was carried out at the Pediatric Department of the Hamad General Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar. A total of 50 children below 14 years of age who were diagnosed with ITP during the period 2000-2005 were included.Results: Among the studied children (50), 62% were diagnosed with acute ITP and 38% with chronic ITP. Acute ITP was more prevalent in boys (64.5%) when compared with girls (35.5%), whereas for chronic ITP, nearly an equal distribution was found in boys (57.9%) and girls (42.1%). Preceding viral infection was common in both acute (71%) and chronic (63.2%) ITP cases; 68% of the children with ITP showed a platelet count below 20×10 9 /L at the time of presentation. Most of the studied children were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (74%). Conclusions:The study revealed a high incidence of ITP among children in Qatar. The study findings are in line with other international reports. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2009;85(3):269-272:Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, bleeding, steroids, platelet. ResumoObjetivo: Definir o padrão da púrpura trombocitopênica idiopática (PTI) (aguda/crônica), e descrever seus sintomas e características clínicas em crianças com menos de 14 anos de idade em uma sociedade árabe recentemente desenvolvida. Resultados: Das crianças estudadas (50), 62% foram diagnosticadas com PTI aguda e 38% com PTI crônica. A PTI aguda foi mais prevalente em meninos (64,5%) em comparação com meninas (35,5%), enquanto que a PTI crônica apresentou uma distribuição quase igual em meninos (57,9%) e meninas (42,1%). História de infecção viral foi comum em casos de PTI tanto aguda (71%) quanto crônica (63,2%); 68% das crianças com PTI apresentaram contagem de plaquetas abaixo de 20×10 9 /L ao diagnóstico. A maioria das crianças estudadas (74%) foi tratada com imunoglobulina intravenosa. Conclusões:O estudo revelou uma alta incidência de PTI entre as crianças no Catar. As descobertas do estudo são semelhantes às de outros relatos internacionais. IntroduçãoA púrpura trombocitopênica idiopática (PTI) em crianças geralmente é uma doença autolimitada cuja forma mais comum de apresentação consiste em breve história de púrpura e feridas em crianças de ambos os sexos com idade entre 2 e 10 anos 1 . A PTI pode ser aguda ou crônica. A forma aguda é mais comum em crianças com idade entre 2 e 6 anos, e 10 a 20% das crianças com PTI evoluem para a forma crônica. A PTI não parece estar relacionada a raça, estilo de vida, clima ou fatores ambientais 2 .Em crianças, a PTI aguda primária é idiopática e ocorre tipicamente em crianças jovens e anteriormente saudáveis depois de uma doença infecciosa 3 . Os primeiros sintomas de PTI podem aparecer em qualquer idade, e o distúrbio afeta o número total de plaquetas sanguineas, ma...

Epidemiology of paediatric immune thrombocytopenia in the General Practice Research Database

“…It is generally thought that most paediatric patients diagnosed with acute ITP were previously in good health and that the disease develops following an infection in 50–70% of acute paediatric ITP cases (Choi & McClure, 1967; Sutor et al , 2001; Blanchette & Carcao, 2003; Zeller et al , 2005; Al‐Mulla et al , 2009). Our study included 52 (20·2%) patients with a preceding infection, the majority of whom were aged 5 years or younger.…”

Retrospective Evaluation of Chronic Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia in Libyan Children

“…The preceding history of viral infection was uncommon in our patients with chronic ITP (22%) while the past history of MMR vaccination is quite rare and constituted only (2%).as international data chronic ITP usually not preceded by a viral infection, two studies in china demonstrated the history of viral illness insignificant % of the patients [33,34] while A history of preceding viral infection was common in chronic ITP cases (63%,) [27].…”

“…As compared to the Arabic population the reports from Lebanon [26] and Arabian Gulf region [27] have shown that the majority 80% of patients with chronic ITP were males while more frequent in Egyptian females [28].…”

Study of Serum Vitamin D Levels in Children with Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

“…Saeidiet al, [8] revealed that mean platelet counts before treatment in childhood ITP patients were 33000/μL. Platelet counts less than 20000/μL were more frequent in children (35.6%) compared to adults at diagnosis (24.8%), while in Al-Mulla et al [9] report, that assessed the patterns of ITP (acute/chronic) and to define present features and clinical characteristic of the disease in kids of maximum age 14-yrs old in a anew developed Arabic societies and they found that 68 percent of the kids with ITP exhibited a platelet counts less than 20x10 9 /L at the period of presenting.…”