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Excellent blood disorder solutions by Arthur Nathaniel Billings? What is ITP? Immune thrombocytopenia (formerly known as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) is a medical term for an autoimmune disorder (immune) causing a shortage of platelets (thrombocytopenia) and bruising (purpura). What is the cause of ITP? ITP is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakes the platelets as being foreign and destroys them. It can follow a virus, vaccination or certain medications, but for most people the cause is unknown.

Arthur Nathaniel Billings about blood disorder treatments : What are platelets? There are three types of blood cell which are all formed in the bone marrow; red cells, white cells and platelets. Platelets, which are small and sticky and circulate in the bloodstream provide the inital plug to stop bruising and bleeding after an injury, and stop blood leaking from capilleries. A blood sample is taken to measure the circulating platelets, and in most people there are between 150,000 and 400,000 platelets in every cubic millimetre of blood. However in the USA we simplify this by describing a platelet count of, say, 150 rather than 150,000. Anyone with a count less than 100 would be considered thrombocytopenic (ie. short of platelets).

Diagnosis of ITP: There is no single blood test that can prove you have ITP, and it remains a diagnosis of exclusion based on history, examination and the results of your initial tests. Investigations are mainly blood tests and are focused on looking for underlying causes of low platelets (other causes for low platelets include vitamin deficiencies, medication, or a bone marrow abnormality). If there are any unusual features on initial tests, we may recommend a bone marrow examination, which is a day unit procedure where we take a small sample of marrow from the pelvic bone under local anaesthetic.

The symptoms of ITP may look like other medical problems. Always consult your health care provider for a diagnosis. How is idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura diagnosed? In addition to a complete medical history and physical exam, you may have these tests: Complete blood count (CBC). A measurement of size, number, and maturity of different blood cells in a specific volume of blood (to measure platelets. Additional blood and urine tests. These tests are done to measure bleeding time and detect possible infections, including a special blood test called an antiplatelet antibody test. See even more info at Arthur Nathaniel Billings.

Medications (including over-the-counter medications) can cause an allergy that cross-reacts with platelets. Infections, typically viral infections, including the viruses that cause chicken pox, hepatitis C, and AIDS, can prompt antibodies that cross-react with platelets. Pregnancy, Immune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, Low-grade lymphomas and leukemias may produce abnormal antibodies against platelet proteins. Sometimes the cause of immune thrombocytopenic purpura is not known.