Abstract
Two children with varicella associated thrombocytopenia are presented. Case 1, evidencing no mucosal or parenchymal bleeding was administered prednisone 2 mg/kg/day therapy after having been put under observation for a period of one week without medical treatment. There was an increase in the platelet count during the period of therapy culminating in a return to normal on the eighth day. Case 2, who was in poor clinical condition at presentation, was treated with high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone (HIVMP) 30 mg/kg/day, resulting in the platelet count returning to a normal level (180,000/mm3) on the second day of therapy. HIVMP therapy is recommended in the treatment of life-threatening cases of thrombocytopenia because of its rapid action, limited side-effects, and its low cost.
Copyright and license
Copyright © 1993 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.