Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura associated with an astrocytoma
Clare Samuelson1, Kate M Forman, Stuart Smith
1Queens Medical Centre, Paediatric Intensive Care, Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
Abstract:
We present the case of an 8-year-old girl with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and a short history suggestive of raised intracranial pressure. Urgent computed tomography scan of the head showed a large bleed into a left cerebellar lesion. She underwent treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and steroids to increase her platelet count, followed by excision of the lesion, which was found to be a benign pilocytic astrocytoma. The patient made a complete recovery and shortly afterwards underwent splenectomy, following which there was complete resolution of her thrombocytopenia.
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