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Chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is defined as thrombocytopenia persisting for more than 6 months. Although bleeding is the most common feature, treatment-related infection and malignancy also contribute to the morbidity and mortality of the disorder.
To examine how often these conditions result in hospitalization and death, investigators in Denmark conducted an industry-supported, population-based, cohort study involving 407 adult patients with chronic ITP. Each patient was matched with 10 controls by age, sex, and comorbidity level. More than half the patients had a platelet count of <30,000/μL, and 30% of the study cohort had undergone splenectomy.
During the first year of follow-up, the rate of hospitalization for infection w…