mercaptopurine and Purpura--Thrombocytopenic--Idiopathic

Thrombocytopenia may develop in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) due to myelosuppression of chemotherapy or relapse. Here we report a pediatric patient with ALL whose platelet counts decreased at the 102nd week of maintenance treatment. Thrombocytopenia was refractory to platelet infusions and bone marrow aspiration revealed remission status for ALL along with increased megakaryocytes. The cessation of chemotherapy for 2 weeks caused no increase in thrombocyte counts. The viral serology was unrevealing. A diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) was established. After administration of intravenous immunoglobulin, the thrombocytopenia resolved. When thrombocytopenia occurs in patients with ALL in remission, ITP should be kept in mind after exclusion of the more common etiologies.. Akut lenfoblastik lösemi (ALL) tanılı hastalarda trombositopeni, kemoterapiye ikincil kemik iliği baskılanması veya hastalığın relapsı sonucu gelişebilir. Olgumuz ALL idame tedavisinin 102. haftasında gelişen trombositopeni nedeniyle incelendiği sırada immün trombositopenik purpura (İTP) tanısı almıştır. Trombositopeninin trombosit infüzyonuna rağmen dirençli olması üzerine yapılan kemik iliği aspirasyonunda löseminin remisyonda olduğu ve megakaryositlerin artmış olduğu görüldü. Kemoterapiye iki hafta ara verilmesine rağmen trombosit sayısında artma olmadı. Viral seroloji sonuçları aktif enfeksiyon ile uyumlu değildi. Hastaya İTP tanısı konuldu. İntravenöz immünoglobulin tedavisi ile trombositopeni düzeldi. Remisyondaki ALL hastalarında trombositopeni geliştiğinde, daha sık görülen nedenler dışlandıktan sonra İTP de akılda bulundurulmalıdır.

Topics: Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Child, Preschool; Dexamethasone; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Maintenance Chemotherapy; Mercaptopurine; Methotrexate; Platelet Count; Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Vincristine

Different hematologic abnormalities are often encountered in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Among them anemia, leukocytosis, and thrombocytosis are commonly seen. Leukopenia and thrombocytopenia are observed mostly as a side effect of therapy, particularly with use of immunosuppressive drugs. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura is rarely reported in association with inflammatory bowel disease. We present two cases with combination of these entities along with a literature review and treatment options. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura in these patients presented as an extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease mediated by a disturbance of the immune system.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anemia; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Colitis, Ulcerative; Crohn Disease; Female; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Immunosuppressive Agents; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Leukocytosis; Leukopenia; Male; Mercaptopurine; Prednisone; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Thrombocytopenia; Thrombocytosis

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Aged, 80 and over; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Male; Mercaptopurine; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Retrobulbar Hemorrhage; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome

Several treatment strategies are available for children with severe immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and other immune cytopenias refractory to initial therapies. 6-Mercaptopurine (6MP) is one option, however it has not been well studied in children, especially as a single agent, and no pediatric case series have been reported since 1970.. We reviewed the experience at our institution over 8 years, using 6MP as a steroid sparing treatment for children with ITP, auto-immune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) or Evans syndrome. A total of 29 pediatric patients were treated with 6MP from 2000 to 2007.. Response was defined as a rise in hemoglobin by at least 1.5 g/dl and to a level of 10 g/dl or greater in patients treated for anemia, or a platelet count >or=50 x 10(9)/L in patients treated for thrombocytopenia. We found an overall response rate of 83% among all patients. Fourteen percent of patients stopped drug because of side effects.. These results suggest that 6MP can be an effective single-agent treatment for refractory immune cytopenias in children. Prospective studies are warranted to determine long-term efficacy and toxicity and to more clearly define patient populations most likely to respond.

Topics: Child; Chronic Disease; Female; Hemoglobins; Humans; Male; Mercaptopurine; Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; Platelet Count; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Retrospective Studies; Salvage Therapy; Treatment Outcome

Topics: Chronic Disease; Mercaptopurine; Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Salvage Therapy

We report on a boy with refractory chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) successfully treated with combination therapy composed of low-dose cyclosporin A (CsA), azathiopurine, and prednisolone. The patient was diagnosed as having ITP at 5 years of age, and received high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), followed by oral prednisolone, intravenous pulsed dexamethasone, oral cepharantin, and intermittent IVIG therapies. Because there were no or only transient responses to these medical therapies over 2 years, he was splenectomized. However, 3 months after the splenectomy, his platelet counts fell to below 10 x 10(3)/microl accompanied by wet purpura. We resumed low-dose intermittent IVIG treatment for 1 year without sustained efficacy. We then started combination therapy with CsA (2.5 mg/kg/day), azathiopurine (1.7 mg/kg/day), and prednisolone (0.8 mg/kg/day). Complete remission was achieved within 2 weeks and the platelet counts remained > 50 x 10(3)/microl even after tapering off the prednisolone and azathiopurine at 6 and 12 months, respectively and have moreover remained normal for more than 10 months after completion of 2 years of CsA treatment. There were no adverse events during the therapeutic course. This is the first pediatric case of ITP treated with CsA in Japan. Such combination therapy may be promising and tolerable for childhood ITP with splenectomy failure.

Topics: Child, Preschool; Chronic Disease; Cyclosporine; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Therapy, Combination; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Male; Mercaptopurine; Prednisolone; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Salvage Therapy; Splenectomy; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Drug Therapy; Humans; Mercaptopurine; Purpura; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic; Radiography; Splenectomy