RESUMO
To investigate if there is a correlation between pre- and post-treatment mean platelet volume [MPV], platelet size deviation width [PDW], and platecrit [PCT] values and to investigate whether we can use them as laboratory parameters to estimate the relapses of immune thrombocytopenia [ITP] patients. Patients with ITP diagnosed at the Hematology Clinic, School of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey between January 2005 and December 2011 were evaluated by a retrospective review of our patients' records. Eighty-one patients with ITP were collected. The first relapse was termed as the hospitalization day before second-line therapy, and the second relapse was termed as the hospitalization day before alternate second-line therapy. We provided the following data of ITP patients at diagnosis, before and after first relapses, and before and after second relapses: presenting symptoms, platelet count, MPV, PDW, and PCT values. We obtained significant statistical differences between MPV values after initial treatment and before second-line therapy [first relapse] [p=0.005], between MPV values after splenectomy and before immunosuppressive or immune modulator therapy [second relapse] [p=0.028], and also, between PCT values after splenectomy and before second relapse [p=0.043]. Mean platelet volume is gradually increasing before first and second relapses, and again normal values are being obtained after appropriate therapies. We conclude that MPV is a useful parameter as a predictor of relapses