A Successfully Treated COVID-19 Vaccine Induced Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

• Published in: Cureus 2023, Vol.15 (12), p.e49878-e49878
• Main Authors: Rodriguez Guerra, Miguel A, Chinta, Siddharth, Urena Neme, Ana P, Gupta, Sorab, Roa Gomez, Gabriella
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.49878

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) is a life-threatening condition where an accurate initial assessment is essential to be able to offer the proper therapy in a timely matter to improve the outcome of the patient. Here, we present a case of ITP secondary to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine (BioNTech, Pfizer vaccine). A 61-year-old obese African American female presented to the emergency room (ER) from a clinic with a platelet count of 11k/ul 21 days after she received the second dose of the BioNTech, Pfizer vaccine. The patient was immediately started on intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) 1g/kg twice daily (bid) and dexamethasone 20 mg IV every 12 hrs (q12h). The next day, the platelet count increased to 63 k/ul, and after the second dose of IVIG, the platelet count improved to 122 k/ul and trended up. The early detection of ITP induced by the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is determinant to guide the early and proper therapy with immunoglobulins and steroids to improve the outcome of our patients.