High-Dose Pulsed Dexamethasone for Immune Thrombocytopenia

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Abstract
An important and unresolved problem is the treatment of patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in whom severe thrombocytopenia persists despite splenectomy. In the June 2, 1994, issue, Andersen reported excellent results in 10 patients with refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (5 men and 5 women) who were treated with high-dose dexamethasone.1 In all the patients who completed six cycles of dexamethasone therapy (40 mg daily for 4 consecutive days every 28 days), platelet counts not only increased but remained above 100×109 per liter for at least 6 months after the last cycle of treatment.