Coexistent Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura and Hyperthyroidism

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Abstract
Review of the charts of 42 patients with idlopathlc thrombo-cytopenic purpura revealed 4 patients with overt hyperthyroidism. Seven of the patients with idiopathlc thrombocytopenla who were clinically euthyroid were evaluated for latent Graves'' disease by means of a triiodothyronine suppression test. Two of these patients demonstrated lack of suppression of their thyroidal uptake of radlolodlne following administration of triiodothyronine. The incidence of hyper-thyroidism and latent Graves'' disease among the patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenia was 14%, an incidence In marked excess of the Incidence of Graves'' disease in the general population which Is 0.1%. The possibility is raised that idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura and Graves'' disease are both diseases of autoimmunlty and both may have similar etiologlc agents in the form of abnormal globulins. In the one case, the antigen may be the platelet and in the other, the thyroid gland.