title: Chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in adult Ethiopians: clinical findings and response to therapy.
abstract: Between January 1982 and December 1989, thirty four cases of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) were seen in adult Ethiopians in the Department of Internal Medicine in-patient and haematology referral clinic, of Tikur Anbessa teaching hospital. Twenty three were females and eleven males; female to male ratio of 2.1:1. The age range was 13-57 years, with a mean of 24.9 years. The commonest manifestations were: purpura, epistaxis, gum-bleeding and menorrhagia. The duration of symptoms ranged from one month to over ten years (median 4.5 months). The platelet counts ranged from 4000/mm3 to 77,000/mm3 (mean - 19,200/mm3), haemoglobin 3.01 to 15.4 gm/dl (mean - 8.2 gm/dl). Four (11.8%) patients were not treated; of these, one went into spontaneous remission. Thirty patients (88.2%) were treated with prednisolone 1.0 to 1.5 mg/kg/day orally. Of these, 7 (23.3%) had excellent, 2 (6.7%) good, 6 (20%) fair, and 15 (50%) had poor responses. Ten patients had splenectomy with 5 (50%) excellent 2 (20%) good, 2 (20%) fair and 1 (10%) poor response. One patient with refractory ITP was treated with immunosuppressive drugs and had an excellent response. Fifteen patients are alive and on followup 3-122 months (median 33 months) after diagnosis, fifteen are lost after followup of 1-66 months (median 9 months) and four have died 1-18 months (median 2 months) after diagnosis. Chronic ITP is frequently seen in adult Ethiopians, its clinical features and response to therapy are similar to those reported in the literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Abeba University, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shamebo
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002985:Clinical Protocols / Q000592:standards; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011696:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D011239:Prednisolone