Abstract
A case of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) was reported. The symptoms of this twelve-year-old girl were microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, headache, hemiparesthesia and dysarthria. Fever and renal involvement were not observed.
Transfusions of whole blood or fresh frozen plasma were not effective, but she responded promptly to the antiplatelet therapy (aspirin, 20 mg/kg/d. and dipyridamole, 4 mg/kg/d.). She has been in complete remission for sixteen months.
The titer of serum circulating immune complexes (CIC) was very high before therapy, but CIC turned to be negative along with the disappearance of the symptoms.
It has been suggested that CIC could cause vascular lesions and had platelet aggregating activity. Although neither immunoglobulins nor complement were demonstrated in the biopsy specimen of the gingiva, CIC might have played a role on the pathogenesis of TTP in this case.
