title: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura associated with rheumatoid arthritis - a report of five cases and review of the literature.
abstract: Abstract Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is relatively rare. We describe five cases of RA with ITP. In all five patients, platelet counts were low, platelet-associated IgG levels were elevated, and bone marrow aspiration showed megakaryocytosis. Glucocorticoid therapy was effective in three cases, but the other two cases required immunosuppressants or intravenous γ-globulin in addition to glucocorticoid. We review the reported cases of RA with ITP and discuss the pathophysiology and differential diagnosis of thrombocytopenia in RA.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology, Tokyo Women's Medical University , 10-22 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0054 , Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harigai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamatani