Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 23, 2025
Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Polyfunctionality and Heterogeneity in Immune Responses
Published on: March 8, 2024
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura secondary to COVID-19 - case report
Andra Elena Petcu1, Irina Magdalena Dumitru2, Roxana Carmen Cernat3
1MD, Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital, Constanța, Doctoral School, Ovidius University of Constanța, 124 Mamaia boulevard, Constanţa, Romania.
Introduction:
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.
Case Report:
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 149×109/L to 3×109/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.
Conclusions:
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.
