Types of ITP
ITP can be classified as primary or secondary.
| Primary | Secondary |
| Primary disease state | Secondary to another disease (e.g. AIDS, Lupus) |
| - Does not occur secondary to any other disease | - ITP occurs in > 10% of HIV patients1 |
ITP can also be classified as acute (<6 - month duration) or chronic (>6 - month duration). Children are much more likely to have the acute form of ITP. In adults, ITP is often chronic.
| ITP in Children | ITP in Adults |
| Incidence is about equal for boys and girls2 | Affects females slightly more than males4 |
| More than 70% of cases resolve within 6 months regardless of therapy2 | Usually requires therapy at onset of symptoms2 |
| Peak age is 5 years2 | Peak age is 18 to 402 |
| Usually sudden onset, days or weeks after infection or immunization2 | Onset is often insidious, no preceding illness can be identified2 |
| 85%-90% of children with ITP recover normal platelet counts within one year3 | Most of adult ITP cases are chronic5 |
- Scaradavou, A. Blood. 1997; 89(9): 2689-2700.
- Cines D.B., Blanchette V.S. Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura. New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 346(13): 995-1008.
- Children's Blood Foundation. Understanding Your Illness page. Available at www.childrensbloodfoundation.org Accessed June 25, 2007.
- Cines, D., Bussel How to Treat ITP, Blood. 2005; 7(106): 2244-2251.
- Sandler, S.G., and Tutuncuoglu, S.O., Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura -- current management practices. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2004; 5(12): 2515-2527.
