title: Steroid responsiveness. A predictor of the outcome of splenectomy in children with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
abstract: Splenectomy is curative for many children with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), but not without placing them at increased risk for serious infections. To determine the reliability of a trial of corticosteroids in predicting the outcome of splenectomy, 36 children with chronic ITP were studied retrospectively. All 20 of the children with a good response to corticosteroids achieved a complete remission after splenectomy, whereas only two of 13 nonresponders exhibited a lasting benefit from surgery. Corticosteroid responsiveness was found to be a highly reliable method of correctly identifying those patients with chronic ITP who would benefit from splenectomy.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011696:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D013156:Splenectomy
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones