Diagnoses, outcomes, and chronicity predictors of patients with secondary immune thrombocytopenia: ten-year data from a hematology referral center

ABSTRACT Background: Secondary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a heterogeneous and unpredictable disease associated with various underlying conditions. Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate clinical evolution and chronicity predictors in secondary ITP. Methods: Patients treated at an academic medical center during 2008-2019 were stratified by age as children <16 years and adults >16 years. Responses to steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG), rituximab, and eltrombopag were classified as response (R) and complete response (CR). Risk factors for chronic ITP were determined by multiple regression with uni- and multi-variate analysis. Results: Eighty-three patients were included, 37 children and 46 adults. The most frequent associated conditions were infections 53%, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) 24%, thyroid disease 9.6%, and Evans syndrome 3.6%. Response to first-line treatment in the whole cohort was 94%; CR 45.7%; and R 50.6%. Initial response to steroids alone was 91.3% (n = 21/23), rituximab plus high-dose dexamethasone (HDD) 93.3% (n = 14/15); children receiving IVIG alone 100% (n=12/12); and eltrombopag in adults 100% (n = 3/3). Relapse was documented in 19.4% of children and 34% of adults, at a median time of 15 and 2 months, respectively; 30.4% of adults (15.2% from the miscellaneous group, 10.9% SLE-associated, and 4.3% infection-associated) and 18.9% of children followed a chronic course; age ≥10 years and platelets ≥20 × 109/L were risk factors for chronic ITP in children. Conclusion: Evolution was heterogeneous: a better and more sustained response was documented in the infections group compared to SLE or the miscellaneous group. (REV INVEST CLIN. 2021;73(1):31-8)

Histoplasmosis diseminada e infección por VIH: serie de casos en un hospital peruano / Disseminated histoplasmosis and HIV infection: case series in a Peruvian hospital

Resumen Introducción: La histoplasmosis es una infección fúngica endémica en Perú, y la co-infección con VIH conlleva dificultades diagnósticas y alta mortalidad asociada. Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas, epidemiológicas y desenlace clínico en pacientes con infección por VIH con diagnóstico de histoplasmosis diseminada (HD) en el Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen, Lima-Perú. Material y Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo, descriptivo; se obtuvo información del registro informático de pacientes con infección por VIH con diagnóstico de HD, durante el período 1996-2014. Se describieron características clínicas, epidemiológicas, tratamiento y desenlace. Resultados: Se encontraron 27 pacientes, 25 (92,6%) fueron varones, con edad media de 36,7 años (± 9,4 años) y 22 (81,5%) tuvieron antecedente epidemiológico. Dieciséis (59,3%) tuvieron HD como enfermedad indicadora de SIDA. El recuento medio de LT CD4+ fue de 65 céls/mm3 (RIQ 15-92). Sólo siete (25,9%) recibían al momento del diagnóstico terapia anti-retroviral combinada. La presentación clínica más frecuente fue con fiebre (66,7%), diarrea crónica (40,7%) y linfoadenopatías (33,3%); el diagnóstico fue realizado principalmente mediante histopatología. Seis (22,2%) fallecieron en la etapa aguda de la enfermedad. Siete (25,9%) fueron tratados inicialmente de forma empírica como tuberculosis. Conclusiones: Se describen las características clínicas de un grupo de pacientes que tuvieron HD como co-infección de VIH, siendo esto aún una realidad cuasi endémica en los pacientes que sufren esta patología.

Background: Histoplasmosis is an endemic fungal infection in Peru and HIV coinfection leads to difficult diagnoses and high associated mortality. Aim: To describe clinical, epidemiological and clinical outcomes in patients with HIV infection with diagnosis of disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) at Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen National Hospital, Lima, Peru. Methods: Retrospective, descriptive study; information was obtained from the computer registry of patients with HIV infection diagnosed with DH, during the period 1996-2014. Clinical, epidemiological, treatment and outcome characteristics were described. Results: We found 27 patients, 25 (92.6%) were male, with a mean age of 36.7 years (± 9.4 years) and 22 (81.5%) had an epidemiological history contact. Sixteen patients (59.3%) had DH as an AIDS defining disease. The median CD4 count was 65 cells/mm3 (IQR 15-92). Only 7 (25.9%) received combination antiretroviral therapy at diagnosis. The most common clinical presentation was fever (66.7%), chronic diarrhea (40.7%) and lymphadenopathy (33.3%). The diagnosis was made mainly by histopathology. Six (22.2%) patiens died in the acute stage of the disease. Seven (25.9%) were initially treated empirically as tuberculosis. Conclusion: We describe the clinical characteristics of a group of patients who had DH as HIV coinfection and this is still a quasi endemic reality in patients suffering from this pathology.