A 17-year-old girl presented with a 3-day history of epistaxis, vaginal bleeding and petechiae over the lower extremities. The patient had been feeling unwell with productive cough, fever, chills, poor appetite and weight loss for 2 months. Laboratory findings revealed anemia and thrombocytopenia, whereas bone marrow examination was unremarkable. She was diagnosed as having idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in association with active tuberculosis (TB). The patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and corticosteroid along with anti-TB drugs. During the follow-up period there was no recurrence of thrombocytopenia or TB. It is important to consider TB in the differential diagnosis of ITP, particularly in high TB-burden areas.
Journal Information
Vol. 14. Issue 6.
Pages 639-640 (November - December 2010)
Vol. 14. Issue 6.
Pages 639-640 (November - December 2010)
Letter to Editor
Open Access
Active pulmonary tuberculosis manifesting with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: a rare presentation
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Payam Tabarsi, Muayad Aghali Merza
, Majid Marjani
Corresponding author
muayadfaily@yahoo.com
Correspondence to: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Shaheed Bahonar Ave, Darabad, P.O. Box 19575/154, Tehran 19556, Iran. Phone: +98 21 8408275 Fax: +98 21 2285777.
Correspondence to: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Shaheed Bahonar Ave, Darabad, P.O. Box 19575/154, Tehran 19556, Iran. Phone: +98 21 8408275 Fax: +98 21 2285777.
Infectious Diseases Doctor, Mycobacteriology Research Center (MRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Darabad, Tehran, Iran
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Article information
Abstract
Keywords:
idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
tuberculosis
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A. Ursavas, D. Ediger, R. Ali, et al.
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