title: A four-point clinical criteria distinguishes immune thrombocytopenia from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
abstract: Immune thrombocytopenia is the most common diagnosis of isolated thrombocytopenia. The dilemma encountered by paediatricians is missing diagnosis of acute leukaemia in children with isolated thrombocytopenia. We demonstrated childhood ITP could be diagnosed using a four point clinical criteria without missing a diagnosis of acute leukaemia. Hence, bone marrow examination is not necessary in children with typical features compatible with ITP prior to steroid therapy. This can encourage paediatricians to choose steroid therapy, which is cheaper and non-blood product, as first line platelet elevating therapy in children with significant haemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: University Malaya Medical Centre, Department of Paediatrics, 50630 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. suhanlum@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lum
authors.affiliation: University Malaya Medical Centre, Department of Paediatrics, 50630 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: How
authors.affiliation: University Malaya Medical Centre, Department of Paediatrics, 50630 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ariffin
authors.affiliation: University Malaya Medical Centre, Department of Paediatrics, 50630 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnan
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001792:Blood Platelets; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia