Immune Thrombocytopenia and Obesity: Predictive Relationship.
BACKGROUND
Chronic refractory immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is defined as the failure of any modality to maintain the platelet count above 20 × 103/μL for an appreciable time without unacceptable toxicity. To date, certain predictive factors have been associated with refractory ITP. However, none of the published studies has declared the possible association between obesity and refractory ITP.


METHODS
We present the cases of 3 children with ITP who failed to achieve remission on different therapeutic approaches including rituximab, vincristine, and romiplostim. The 3 children had obesity as a common feature.


CONCLUSIONS
We present these cases to propose a possible association between obesity and refractoriness of ITP to different therapeutic approaches and to emphasize the need for further study to establish whether a causal relationship exists.
Prince Sultan Oncology Center, King Salman Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Ehab
E
Hanafy
Prince Sultan Oncology Center, King Salman Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed Al
MA
Pakra
Pediatric obesity; purpura–thrombocytopenic–idiopathic