Document Type
Case Report
Disciplines
Hematology | Higher Education | Infectious Disease | Internal Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences
Abstract
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), also referred to as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, is an acquired form of thrombocytopenia caused by antibodies directed against platelet glycoproteins, particularly anti-GpIIb/IIIa antibodies. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpes virus infecting a large majority of the population before adulthood, has been implicated in various immune-mediated disorders, including ITP. In this report, we present a case of a young adult female with a history of thrombocytopenia who was found to have severe thrombocytopenia attributed to chronic EBV infection. Despite initial treatment with corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), the patient's condition necessitated second-line therapies, including rituximab and thrombopoietin receptor agonists. This case underscores the significance of EBV screening in refractory cases of ITP and highlights the need for tailored therapeutic approaches in chronic EBV-associated ITP.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.32873/unmc.dc.gmerj.7.1.003
Keywords
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Thrombocytopenia
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Aldamouk, A., Masri, B., Khan, A., , Uppal, P. Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura Association with Epstein-Barr Virus. Graduate Medical Education Research Journal. 2025 Jun 27; 7(1).
https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/gmerj/vol7/iss1/3
Included in
Hematology Commons, Higher Education Commons, Infectious Disease Commons, Internal Medicine Commons
