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Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a bleeding disorder caused by a low platelet count with no known cause. Symptoms include purple bruises and bleeding from the gums and nostrils. Treatment options include steroid administration or spleen removal. Most cases are not fatal or extremely dangerous.
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a medical condition in which, for no known reason, the blood does not clot as it should. Failure of blood to clot properly is the result of a low blood platelet count. Platelets are blood cells that circulate in mammals and are responsible for blood clotting. If one does not have enough platelets, clotting will not occur or will be delayed. Failure of the blood to clot can cause excessive bleeding, leading to idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura being referred to as a bleeding disorder.
Idiopathic is a term used in medicine to describe a condition that exists without any known cause or explanation. Thrombocytopenic describes the condition of having a lower than normal platelet count in the blood. Purpura are bruises, often purple in color, that result from bleeding under the skin. ITP, therefore, is described as a low platelet count with no visible cause. The main visible symptom of ITP is usually purple welts on the skin, which reveal that there has been bleeding into the small blood vessels under the skin.
Most people have between 150,000 and 400,000 platelets per cubic millimeter (mm3) of blood. Anything below that can technically be considered idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, although there is no set number for diagnosing the disorder. About half of reported cases of ITP are in children and cases are usually acute and last six months or less. Most cases in adults, on the other hand, are usually chronic and last longer than ITP in children. ITP appears in women two to three times more often than in men.
Purple bruises, especially on the extremities, are the most common symptom of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Bleeding from the gums and nostrils is another common symptom and occurs when the platelet count is less than 20,000 per mm3. In cases with extremely low platelet counts, hematomas or blood masses outside the vessels may appear in the mouth or on other mucous membranes.
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is usually not fatal or even extremely dangerous. There are a variety of treatments available for cases whose platelet count is less than 50,000 per mm3. steroid administration or spleen removal are two such treatment options. generally, it is not necessary to treat those whose platelet counts are greater than 50,000 per mm3. The main health risks for people with low platelet counts are internal bleeding and bleeding, internal or external, caused by trauma or other major injury.
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