The booklets in this series are intended to provide general information about the diseases they describe. In many cases the treatment of individual patients will differ from that described in the booklets. At all times patients should rely on the advice of their specialist who is the only person with full information about their diagnosis and medical history.
Platelets are small cells which are needed for blood to clot normally.
The normal platelet count is from 150-450 x 109 per litre of blood. Acute ITP is usually seen in young children and often, but not always, follows a viral infection. Onset is quite abrupt. Chronic ITP means a case which has lasted longer than six weeks. It may occur at any age and affects women about three times more often than men.