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Steven J. Mintz, MD; Scott R. Petersen, MD; Bruce Cheson, MD; Linda J. Cordell, MD; Ralph C. Richards, MD

Arch Surg. 1981;116(5):645-650.

Abstract
• Of 481 splenectomies performed at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, 78 (16.2%) were for immune (idiopathic) thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). The mean platelet count prior to therapy was 13,800/cu mm (range, 500 to 80,000/cu mm). All but two patients were initially treated with corticosteroids, and 58.2% responded with an increase in platelets (mean, 77,900/cu mm). The indications for splenectomy included (1) failure to respond to steroids (33.8%); (2) inability to taper steroids (52.1%); (3) recurrent ITP (5.6%); and (4) miscellaneous (8.5%). There was one death following splenectomy, and the postoperative morbidity was 14.1%. Complete remission occurred in 77.3%, and 84.8% were judged to have benefited from the procedure. The remission rate following splenectomy in patients who responded to preoperative steroids was 93.2%, whereas improvement fell to 68.3% in patients who failed to respond to steroids. This study confirms the benefit of splenectomy for ITP and demonstrates a predictive correlation with response to preoperative preparation with corticosteroids in these patients.

(Arch Surg 1981;116:645-650)

Author Affiliations
From the Departments of Surgery (Drs Mintz, Petersen, Cordell, and Richards) and Medicine (Dr Cheson), University of Utah College of Medicine, Salt Lake City.

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Jan 12, 1981.

Deceased.

Read before the 88th annual meeting of the Western Surgical Association, Salt Lake City, Nov 18, 1980.

Reprint requests to Department of Surgery, University of Utah College of Medicine, 50 N Medical Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84132 (Dr Petersen).

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