A Case of Childhood Acute Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Aggravated Following Treatment at a Herbal Clinic / 대한피부과학회지

ABSTRACT

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a hemorrhagic disorder due to accelerated sequestration of antibody-sensitized platelets. Acute ITP occurs most frequently in children and rarely persists for more than 6 months. Although the acute ITP of childhood represents a better prognosis, severe thrombocytopenia less than 10,000/mm3 can lead to fatal complications such as intracranial hemorrhage. We report a case of childhood ITP with a potential risk of life-threatening bleeding. With this condition, the public should be aware that a large percent of herbal clinics have misdiagnosed or been in a breach of malpractice for emergency cases of ITP, where critical care intervention or expeditious referral was necessary.