Management and Treatment of Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia in Children

Abstract

Primary immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), the most common isolated thrombocytopenia of childhood, is involved in immunological mechanisms. ITP has shown heterogeneous pathophysiology, clinical features, and response to treatment. Most children with primary ITP recover within 6–12 months, but some patients who develop refractory or chronic ITP require especially careful medical management. To date, most conventional treatments consist of immunosuppressive or immune-modulating drugs. The International Consensus Report on the management of primary ITP has stated the goal for ITP management as achieving a safe level of platelet counts to avoid severe bleeding and minimizing therapy-related adverse effects. More recently, a new class of drugs, rituximab and thrombopoietin receptor (TPO-R) agonists, have been developed for the use in treating patients with ITP including children. The increasing clinical usage of these agents might improve therapeutic approaches and managements for children with ITP.