Post-Transfusion Purpura

Abstract

POST-TRANSFUSION purpura (PTP) is a rare but well defined syndrome first characterized by Shulman et al.¹ as a severe megakaryocytic thrombocytopenic purpura developing one week after blood transfusion. In each case a platelet isoantibody has been present in the patient's serum that reacted demonstrably with transfused donor platelets but not with the patient's own platelets. All the nine patients described thus far have been women, and in each thrombocytopenia has been profound. Despite the associated life-threatening hemorrhage, the disease appears to be self-limited, since all patients have recovered in 40 days or less.^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8} One patient treated by a 70 per . . .