Immune thrombocytopenic purpura secondary to COVID-19 - case report

• Published in: Germs (Bucureşti) 2021-06, Vol.11 (2), p.319-323
• Main Authors: Petcu, Andra Elena, Dumitru, Irina Magdalena, Cernat, Roxana Carmen, Șerban, Carmen Ilie, Hangan, Aurelia, Ghiță, Elena, Vlad, Nicoleta Dorina, Dumitrașcu, Mirela, Câmpeanu, Adriana Teodora, Rugină, Sorin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blood platelets; Blood tests; Case Report; Case reports; Coronaviruses; Corticosteroids; COVID-19; Disease prevention; Eltrombopag; Fever; Health aspects; Hematology; Hospitalization; Immunoglobulins; Infections; Laboratories; Medical imaging; Oxygen saturation; Patients; Pneumonia; Purpura; Remission (Medicine); Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Skin; Steroids; Stroke; Thrombocytopenia; Thrombocytopenic purpura; Transfusion
• ISSN: 2248-2997; 2248-2997
• DOI: 10.18683/germs.2021.1268

Thrombocytopenia is common in SARS-COV-2 infection, and about a quarter of cases have moderate thrombocytopenia. Severe thrombocytopenia is less common and is associated with severe forms of COVID-19. The pathogenesis of this thrombocytopenia appears to be complex, the immune mechanism being incriminated. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is one of the severe complications of COVID-19 and has an increased risk of mucosal or cutaneous bleeding. We present the case of a 72-year-old woman admitted to the hospital with moderate COVID-19 who developed severe thrombocytopenia 13 days after the onset of COVID symptoms. Nine days after admission, her platelets decreased from 149×10 /L to 3×10 /L and numerous patches appeared on the skin and mucous membranes. She was responsive to corticosteroids and platelet transfusion, after five days, the platelet level returned to normal. Close hematological monitoring of patients with COVID is necessary to prevent severe complications. Even if this patient did not receive immunoglobulins, corticosteroid therapy and platelet administration led to a favorable outcome.