Splenectomy results in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: 10 years of experience in Turgut Ozal Medical Center

The standard treatment for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is corticosteroid therapy. In patients who are refractory to this treatment, splenectomy is the most usual therapy. Between 1993 and 2003, 125 patients were diagnosed with ITP in the Inonu University School of Medicine, Department of Haematology. Twenty-one of these patients who did not respond to steroids, underwent splenectomy. Of these 21 patients, 12 achieved complete and three achieved partial haematological responses, while the remaining six did not respond. Four of these six patients responded to drugs such as azathioprine and danazol, while the others were totally refractory. Only one of our patients showed fatal complications either during or after the surgery. Our results after 10 years experience demonstrate that splenectomy is an effective and safe treatment for ITP patients who are refractory to steroids.