Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in HIV infection: a report of two cases
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Amol S. Rakkar; Raman Sood; Tanveer Mir; Faroque Ahmad Khan; Linda Carmosino
- Source
- AIDS patient care and STDs. 10(6)
- Subject
- Adult
Male
Catastrophic illness
Pediatrics
medicine.medical_specialty
medicine.medical_treatment
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
HIV Infections
Asymptomatic
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
hemic and lymphatic diseases
medicine
Humans
Dialysis
Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic
business.industry
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Acute kidney injury
Plasmapheresis
Acute Kidney Injury
medicine.disease
Prognosis
Infectious Diseases
Immunology
medicine.symptom
business
Complication
- Language
- ISSN
- 1087-2914
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare but well-described complication of HIV infection, which occurs equally frequently during the early asymptomatic phase of HIV infection and with clinical AIDS. The clinical spectrum varies from a low-grade asymptomatic thrombocytopenia with mild renal insufficiency to a catastrophic illness with gross neurological deficits and renal failure requiring dialysis. We report two cases of TTP associated with HIV infection seen in our institution over a period of 2 years. The clinical course of these two patients highlights the markedly heterogeneous characteristics of patients with HIV-related TTP. HIV infection may be the most common association of TTP in certain communities with a high prevalence of HIV infection. As early diagnosis and institution of plasmapheresis is crucial for a favorable outcome it is important to be aware of this association.