Clinical presentation in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: Real-world data from two Mexican institutions

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a hematologic disease that can be fatal if not treated early. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of Mexican patients with idiopathic TTP.

We conducted a retrospective study, including all adult patients diagnosed with idiopathic TTP from 2011 to 2017 in two Mexican centers. We further compared our results with the published literature.

Twenty patients were included; 70% were female, with a median age of 38.5 years at diagnosis (range 16-63). The median time from onset of symptoms to hospital admission was 1.5 days (range 0-16). Most patients (85%) presented with at least one systemic manifestation at admission (including fever) and 90% had neurological symptoms, most of them major (70%) including loss of consciousness, transient focal abnormalities, headache, and confusion. Only one patient (5%) had the classical pentad at the time of admission. Kidney failure was present in 25% of patients and hemorrhagic symptoms in 60%. Digestive and cardiorespiratory symptoms were less common (45% and 15%, respectively). Median platelet count and lactate dehydrogenase were 10 500/μL and 1319 IU/L, respectively. Eighty percent of patients achieved remission following treatment. Patients admitted within the first 48 hours (after the onset of symptoms) tended to have better overall survival.

Clinical presentation in Mexican TTP patients is similar to that in other countries. Early admission and a high suspicion for the disease will avoid delays in the initial work-up and initiation of therapy, further improving prognosis.