Complete splenic embolization in the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura

The use of splenic embolization in immune thrombocytopenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The effectiveness of splenic embolization (SE) in treating refractory immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) remains uncertain. A systematic literature review was undertaken to assess the effectiveness and safety of SE in treating both paediatric and adult patients with ITP. We conducted an extensive search employing predefined criteria. We extracted platelet counts at baseline and at multiple intervals following SE, along with details of the proportion of embolized spleen parenchyma and the proportion of patients exhibiting complete or partial platelet count responses. We identified nine eligible reports for the analysis of effectiveness (228 patients) and 15 reports for the safety analysis (151 patients). Pooled estimates of complete response (platelet count >100 × 109/L) and overall response (platelet count >30 × 109/L) were 50.1% (95% CI: 38-62.3) and 74.4% (95% CI: 64.9-83.9) respectively. Most studies applied an embolization of at least 60% of the spleen parenchyma. Nearly all the patients suffered from mild adverse events (AEs), 1.3% suffered from serious AEs and one patient died (0.7%). In conclusion, SE resulted in an overall response rate in 74.4% of patients with ITP. However, this finding derives from uncontrolled studies of low to moderate quality.

[Treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in adults]

The lack of controlled studies of the treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), also known as immune thrombocytopenic purpura, means that no evidence-based recommendations are available. ITP is a benign disease and severe hemorrhages are rare. Oral prednisone remains the first-line treatment. In patients with very low platelet counts and significant bleeding, intravenous immunoglobulins and high-dose oral dexamethasone may be an alternative. A validated bleeding score would help physicians use these treatments more effectively. Splenectomy remains the best curative treatment for adults with chronic ITP and platelet counts <30 x 10(9)/L after failure of the first-line treatments. Rituximab is probably the single most effective agent, as well as the least toxic, when splenectomy fails: the short-term response rate is 50% and the sustained-response rate more than 30%. Cytotoxic or other immunosuppressive agents should be reserved for patients with severe disease refractory to both splenectomy and rituximab. Thrombopoietin receptor agonists are a class of new investigational drugs for which promising results have been reported, but more data regarding long-term safety are needed.

Management of immune thrombocytopenic purpura in adults

Primary immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), also referred to as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, is an organ-specific autoimmune disorder in which antibody-coated or immune complex-coated platelets are destroyed prematurely by the reticuloendothelial system, resulting in peripheral blood thrombocytopenia. The disease is heterogeneous with regard to its severity and clinical course and is unpredictable in its response to therapy. Although the basic underlying pathophysiology of ITP has been known for more than 50 years, current treatment guidelines are based on expert opinion rather than on evidence because of a lack of high-quality clinical trials and research. The only patients for whom treatment is clearly required are those with severe bleeding and/or extremely low platelet counts (< 10 x 10(9)/L). Treatment of patients with ITP refractory to corticosteroids and splenectomy requires careful evaluation of disease severity, patient characteristics related to risk of bleeding, and adverse effects associated with treatment. Clinical trials with numerous new agents are under way, which we hope will add more effective and targeted strategies to our therapeutic armamentarium. We describe a logical and structured approach to the clinical management of ITP in adults, based on a literature review and our personal experience.