Immune thrombocytopenia in adults

Table 1 Frequent examples of differential diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenia and potential alternative causes of thrombocytopenia identified by patient history

Previously diagnosed or possible high risk of conditions that may be associated with autoimmune thrombocytopenia, for example, HIV, HCV or other infection; other autoimmune/immunodeficiency disorders (including systemic lupus erythematosus; malignancy (e.g., lymphoproliferative disorders); recent vaccination

Liver disease (including alcoholic liver cirrhosis)

Drugs (prescription or non-prescription), alcohol abuse, consumption of quinine, tonic water, exposure to environmental toxins

Bone marrow diseases including myelodysplastic syndromes, leukemias, other malignancies, fibrosis, aplastic anemia and megaloblastic anemia

Recent transfusions (possibility of post-transfusion purpura) and recent immunizations

Inherited thrombocytopenia: thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome, radioulnar synostosis, congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, MYH9-related disease, Bernard-Soulier syndrome, type II B von Willebrand disease

HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; MYH9: Myosin heavy chain 9.