Foamy Histiocytosis of the Spleen in Patients with Chronic Thrombocytopenia

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Abstract
In 17 of the 64 spleens removed from patients with chronic thrombocytopenia lipid-laden histiocytotes were demonstrated. No correlation was found between these pathological findings and the age of the patients at diagnosis or splenectomy, the duration before splenectomy of therapy with glucocorticoids, the period with thrombocytopenia or the platelet count. 7 of the patients, who relapsed after splenectomy had lipid-laden histiocytes in their spleens i.e. 58 % of the patients with relapse, compared with 10 patients with foamy histiocytosis and without relapse i.e. 19 % of the patients without relapse. At follow up, 3 of the 17 patients with splenic histiocytosis still had thrombocytopenia, compared with 1 of the 47 patients without foamy cells. Foamy histiocytosis of the spleen from a patient with chronic thrombocytopenia may indicate a dubious prognosis.