High incidence of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in Jahra region of Kuwait

To study the incidence of ITP in adults in Jahra region. A retrospective study of all thrombocytopenic patients admitted to adult medical wards of Al Jahra hospital was performed during two years, [2003-2004 inclusive]. Adult medical wards of Al Jahra hospital, Kuwait. Out of the total 81 patients with thrombocytopenia, 34 cases [41.2%] were found to be due to ITP. Jahra hospital is the only referral hospital in Jahra region, catering to a population of 280,000 which makes the incidence of 60 per million populations per year. Thirty ITP patients had first line medical treatment, 3 required splenectomy and one responded to second line treatment of Azathioprine. Incidence of ITP varies significantly in different parts of the world. The incidence in Kuwait is higher than that seen in other parts of the world

Association of spinal cord dysfunction with hereditary spherocytosis

Hereditary spherocytosis is a familial hemolytic disorder of red cell membrane cytoskeleton characterized by anemia, jaundice and splenomegaly. There are very few cases on record, of spinal cord dysfunction associated with this disorder, which are considered to be due to an abnormality in the cytoskeletal protein present in red cells, neuronal and dendritic cell membranes. We describe a rare case of hereditary spherocytosis which presented with spinal cord dysfunction