blood disorders
Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP)
Symptoms of ITP
Some people may not have symptoms of immune thrombocytopenia. In other people, bleeding symptoms may develop suddenly or gradually. With chronic ITP, fatigue is common. Bleeding in the skin may be the first sign of a low platelet count. Many tiny red dots (petechiae) often appear in the skin on the lower legs, and minor injuries may cause black-and-blue bruises (ecchymoses or purpura). The gums may bleed, and blood may appear in the stool or urine. Menstrual periods or nosebleeds may be unusually heavy. Bleeding may be hard to stop. Ecchymoses are large purple bruises seen here on the leg. DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Petechiae are small red, purple, or brown spots as seen here in the skin. By permission of the publisher. From Deitcher S. InAtlas of Clinical Hematology. Edited by JO Armitage. Philadelphia, Current Medicine, 2004. Petechiae are small red spots as seen here in the mouth. DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Bleeding worsens as the number of platelets decreases. People who have very few platelets may lose large amounts of blood into their digestive tract or may rarely develop life-threatening Symptoms even though they have not been injured. Headache and other nervous system symptoms can occur with bleeding inside the brain. 