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Therapy involves both preventive measures and treatment of specific bleeding episodes.
- Dental hygiene lessens gingival bleeding
- Avoidance of antiplatelet agents such as aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen, and anticoagulants
- Iron or folate supplementation may be necessary if excessive or prolonged bleeding has caused anemia
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- Antifibrinolytic drugs such as tranexamic acid or ε-aminocaproic acid (Amicar)
- Desmopressin (DDAVP) does not normalize the bleeding time in Glanzmann's thrombasthenia but anecdotally improves hemostasis
- Hormonal contraceptives to control excessive menstrual bleeding
- Topical agents such as gelfoam, fibrin sealants, polyethylene glycol polymers, custom dental splints
- Platelet transfusions (only if bleeding is severe; risk of platelet alloimmunization)
- Recombinant factor VIIa, AryoSeven or NovoSeven FDA approved this drug for the treatment of the disease on July 2014.
- Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for severe recurrent hemorrhages
There has been no general recommendation for treatment of patients with Giant Platelet Disorders, as there are many different specific classifications to further categorize this disorder which each need differing treatments. Platelet transfusion is the main treatment for people presenting with bleeding symptoms. There have been experiments with DDAVP (1-deamino-8-arginine vasopressin) and splenectomy on people with Giant platelet disorders with mixed results, making this type of treatment contentious.
Hydroxycarbamide and anagrelide are contraindicated during pregnancy and nursing. Essential thrombocytosis can be linked with a three-fold increase in risk of miscarriage. Throughout pregnancy, close monitoring of the mother and fetus is recommended. Low-dose low molecular weight heparin (e.g. enoxaparin) may be used. For life-threatening complications, the platelet count can be reduced rapidly using platelet apheresis, a procedure that removes platelets from the blood and returns the remainder to the patient.
In terms of treatment/management, bleeding events can be controlled by platelet transfusion.
Most heterozygotes, with few exceptions, do not have a bleeding diathesis. BSS presents as a bleeding disorder due to the inability of platelets to bind and aggregate at sites of vascular endothelial injury. In the event of an individual with mucosal bleeding tranexamic acid can be given.
The affected individual may need to avoid contact sports and medications such as aspirin, which can increase the possibility of bleeding. A potential complication is the possibility of the individual producing antiplatelet antibodies
Individuals experiencing episodic bleeding as a result of congenital dysfibrinogenemia should be treated at a center specialized in treating hemophilia. They should avoid all medications that interfere with normal platelet function. During bleeding episodes, treatment with fibrinogen concentrates or in emergencies or when these concentrates are unavailable, infusions of fresh frozen plasma and/or cryoprecipitate (a fibrinogen-rich plasma fraction) to maintain fibrinogen activity levels >1 gram/liter. Tranexamic acid or fibrinogen concentrates are recommended for prophylactic treatment prior to minor surgery while fibrinogen concentrates are recommended prior to major surgery with fibrinogen concentrates usage seeking to maintain fibrinogen activity levels at >1 gram/liter. Women undergoing vaginal or Cesarean child birth should be treated at a hemophilia center with fibrinogen concentrates to maintain fibrinogen activity levels at 1.5 gram/liter. The latter individuals require careful observation for bleeding during their post-partum periods.
Individuals experiencing episodic thrombosis as a result of congenital dysfibrinogenemia should also be treated at a center specialized in treating hemophilia using antithrombotic agents. They should be instructed on antithrombotic behavioral methods fur use in high risk situations such as long car rides and air flights. Venous thrombosis should be treated with low molecular weight heparin for a period that depends on personal and family history of thrombosis events. Prophylactic treatment prior to minor surgery should avoid fibrinogen supplementation and use prophylactic anticoagulation measures; prior to major surgery, fibrinogen supplementation should be used only if serious bleeding occurs; otherwise, prophylactic anticoagulation measures are recommended.
Platelet storage pool deficiency has no treatment however management consists of antifibrinolytic medications if the individual has unusual bleeding event, additionally caution should be taken with usage of NSAIDS
Hydroxycarbamide, interferon-α and anagrelide can lower the platelet count. Low-dose aspirin is used to reduce the risk of blood clot formation unless the platelet count is very high, where there is a risk of bleeding from the disease and hence this measure would be counter-productive (as they increase one's risk for bleeds).
The PT1 study compared hydroxyurea plus aspirin to anagrelide plus aspirin as initial therapy for ET. Hydroxyurea treated patients had a lower incidence of arterial thrombosis, lower incidence of severe bleeding and lower incidence of transformation to myelofibrosis, but the risk of venous thrombosis was higher with hydroxycarbamide than with anagrelide. It is unknown whether the results are applicable to all ET patients. In people with symptomatic ET and extremely high platelet counts (exceeding 1 million), plateletpheresis can be used to remove platelets from the blood to reduce the risk of thrombosis.
The primary treatment for CAMT is bone marrow transplantation.
Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant is the only thing that ultimately cures this genetic disease. Frequent platelet transfusions are required to ensure that platelet levels do not fall to dangerous levels, although this is not always the case. It is known for patients to continue to create very small numbers of platelets over time.
Often, no treatment is required or necessary for reactive thrombocytosis. In cases of reactive thrombocytosis of more than 1,000x10/L, it may be considered to administer daily low dose aspirin (such as 65 mg) to minimize the risk of stroke or thrombosis.
However, in primary thrombocytosis, if platelet counts are over 750,000 or 1,000,000, and especially if there are other risk factors for thrombosis, treatment may be needed. Selective use of aspirin at low doses is thought to be protective. Extremely high platelet counts in primary thrombocytosis can be treated with hydroxyurea (a cytoreducing agent) or anagrelide (Agrylin).
In Jak-2 positive disorders, ruxolitinib (Jakafi) can be effective.
Treatment of acquired dysfibrinogenemia follows the guidelines recommended for congenital dysfibrinogenemia. In addition, treatment of any disease thought to be responsible for the dysfibrinogenemia might be useful. For example, therapeutic plasma exchange and chemotherapy to reduce monoclonal antibody levels has been used successfully to reverse otherwise uncontrollable bleeding in cases of multiple myeloma-associated dysfibrinogenemia.
For patients with vWD type 1 and vWD type 2A, desmopressin is available as different preparations, recommended for use in cases of minor trauma, or in preparation for dental or minor surgical procedures. Desmopressin stimulates the release of vWF from the Weibel-Palade bodies of endothelial cells, thereby increasing the levels of vWF (as well as coagulant factor VIII) three- to five-fold. Desmopressin is also available as a preparation for intranasal administration (Stimate) and as a preparation for intravenous administration. Recently, the FDA has approved the use of Baxalta’s Vonvendi. This is the first recombinant form of vWF. The effectiveness of this treatment is different than desmopressin because it only contains vWF, not vWF with the addition of FVIII. This treatment is only recommended for use by individuals who are 18 years of age or older.
Desmopressin is contraindicated in vWD type 2b because of the risk of aggravated thrombocytopenia and thrombotic complications. Desmopressin is probably not effective in vWD type 2M and is rarely effective in vWD type 2N. It is totally ineffective in vWD type 3.
For women with heavy menstrual bleeding, estrogen-containing oral contraceptive medications are effective in reducing the frequency and duration of the menstrual periods. Estrogen and progesterone compounds available for use in the correction of menorrhagia are ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel (Levona, Nordette, Lutera, Trivora). Administration of ethinylestradiol diminishes the secretion of luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone from the pituitary, leading to stabilization of the endometrial surface of the uterus.
Desmopressin is a synthetic analog of the natural antidiuretic hormone vasopressin. Its overuse can lead to water retention and dilutional hyponatremia with consequent convulsion.
For patients with vWD scheduled for surgery and cases of vWD disease complicated by clinically significant hemorrhage, human-derived medium purity factor VIII concentrates, which also contain von Willebrand factors, are available for prophylaxis and treatment. Humate P, Alphanate, Wilate and Koate HP are commercially available for prophylaxis and treatment of vWD. Monoclonally purified factor VIII concentrates and recombinant factor VIII concentrates contain insignificant quantity of vWF, so are not clinically useful.
Development of alloantibodies occurs in 10-15% of patients receiving human-derived medium-purity factor VIII concentrates and the risk of allergic reactions including anaphylaxis must be considered when administering these preparations. Administration of the latter is also associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolic complications.
Blood transfusions are given as needed to correct anemia and hypotension secondary to hypovolemia. Infusion of platelet concentrates is recommended for correction of hemorrhage associated with platelet-type vWD.
The antifibrinolytic agents epsilon amino caproic acid and tranexamic acid are useful adjuncts in the management of vWD complicated by clinical hemorrhage. The use topical thrombin JMI and topical Tisseel VH are effective adjuncts for correction of hemorrhage from wounds.
In many cases, MHA requires no treatment. However, in extreme cases, blood platelet transfusions may be necessary
Recent research has suggested that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may be a treatment option for patients with XLT despite associated risks. Other studies have shown that treatment with corticosteroids or intravenous immunoglobulin in any dose or duration may have a beneficial impact on platelet counts, although transiently. Furthermore, research has shown that splenectomy may not be a good treatment option for patients with XLT as it increases the risk of severe infections. This same research showed that patients with XLT have a high overall survival rate but they are at risk for severe life-threatening complications associated with this disorder, such as serious bleeding events and malignancies.
There are too few cases of fibrinogen storage disease to establish optimal treatments for the liver diseases. Management of the disorder has been based on general recommendations for patients with liver disease, particularly Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency-associated liver disease. In the latter disease, autophagy, the pathway that cells use to dispose of dysfunctional or excessively stored components including proteins, has been targeted using autophagy-enhancing drugs, e.g. carbamazepine, vitamin E, and ursodeoxycholic acid. These drugs have been tested in individual patients with fibrin storage disease with some success in reducing evidence of liver injure, i.e. reduction in blood liver enzyme levels. These and other autophagy-enhancing drugs are suggested to be further studied in fibrinogen storage disease.
Giant platelet disorders are rare disorders featuring abnormally large platelets, thrombocytopenia and a tendency to bleeding. Giant platelets cannot stick adequately to an injured blood vessel walls, resulting in abnormal bleeding when injured. Giant platelet disorder occurs for inherited diseases like Bernard-Soulier syndrome, gray platelet syndrome and May-Hegglin anomaly.
Harris platelet syndrome (HPS) is the most common inherited giant platelet disorder.
Anti-platelet autoantibodies in a pregnant woman with ITP will attack the patient's own platelets and will also cross the placenta and react against fetal platelets. Therefore, ITP is a significant cause of fetal and neonatal immune thrombocytopenia. Approximately 10% of newborns affected by ITP will have platelet counts <50,000/uL and 1% to 2% will have a risk of intracerebral hemorrhage comparable to infants with neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT).
No lab test can reliably predict if neonatal thrombocytopenia will occur. The risk of neonatal thrombocytopenia is increased with:
- Mothers with a history of splenectomy for ITP
- Mothers who had a previous infant affected with ITP
- Gestational (maternal) platelet count less than 100,000/uL
It is recommended that pregnant women with thrombocytopenia or a previous diagnosis of ITP should be tested for serum antiplatelet antibodies. A woman with symptomatic thrombocytopenia and an identifiable antiplatelet antibody should be started on therapy for their ITP which may include steroids or IVIG. Fetal blood analysis to determine the platelet count is not generally performed as ITP-induced thrombocytopenia in the fetus is generally less severe than NAIT. Platelet transfusions may be performed in newborns, depending on the degree of thrombocytopenia. It is recommended that neonates be followed with serial platelet counts for the first few days after birth.,
Treatment for individuals with X-linked thrombocytopenia is typically focused on managing symptoms of the disorder. Splenectomy has been shown to improve platelet counts but also significantly increases the risk of life-threatening infections for patients with XLT. Therefore, these individuals must take antibiotics for the rest of their life to avoid fatal bacteremia. In the event of significant bleeding, platelet transfusions should be administered. Circumcision should be avoided for infant males with XLT due to the risk of bleeding and infection. Regular follow ups to track blood counts should be utilized as well as confirming that any medications, over the counter or prescription, will not interfere with platelet functioning.
Bone marrow/stem cell transplants are the only known cures for this genetic disease. Frequent platelet transfusions are required to keep the patient from bleeding to death before the transplant can be performed, although this is not always the case.
HPS was identified among healthy blood donors in the north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent, characterized by absent bleeding symptoms, mild to severe thrombocytopenia (platelets rarely <50 X 109/L)with giant platelets (Mean platelet volume 10fL) and normal platelet aggregation studies with absent MYH9 mutation.
In the blood donors with HPS authors found a statistically higher MPV, RDW and a lower platelet count and platelet biomass.
At present the diagnosis of HPS is made by ascertaining the ethnicity of the patient, as well as assessing for conditions causing acquired thrombocytopenias, and after also excluding the known inherited giant platelet disorders(IGPD) and other congenital thrombocytopenias. Unfortunately some patients with IGPD are treated inappropriately with corticosteroids, immunoglobulin infusions and even splenectomy.
It is extremely important to recognize Harris platelet syndrome, as one third the population of certain parts of Indian subcontinent is affected.
Thrombopoietin receptor agonists are pharmaceutical agents that stimulate platelet production in the bone marrow. In this, they differ from the previously discussed agents that act by attempting to curtail platelet destruction. Two such products are currently available:
- Romiplostim (trade name Nplate) is a thrombopoiesis stimulating Fc-peptide fusion protein (peptibody) that is administered by subcutaneous injection. Designated an orphan drug in 2003 under United States law, clinical trials demonstrated romiplostim to be effective in treating chronic ITP, especially in relapsed post-splenectomy patients. Romiplostim was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for long-term treatment of adult chronic ITP on August 22, 2008.
- Eltrombopag (trade name Promacta in the USA, Revolade in the EU) is an orally-administered agent with an effect similar to that of romiplostim. It too has been demonstrated to increase platelet counts and decrease bleeding in a dose-dependent manner. Developed by GlaxoSmithKline and also designated an orphan drug by the FDA, Promacta was approved by the FDA on November 20, 2008.
Side effects of thrombopoietin receptor agonists include headache, joint or muscle pain, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, and an increased risk of blood clots.
Several therapy developments for TTP emerged during recent years. Artificially produced ADAMTS13 has been used in mice and testing in humans has been announced. Another drug in development is targeting VWF and its binding sites, thereby reducing VWF-platelet interaction, especially on ULVWF during a TTP episode. Among several (multi-)national data bases a worldwide project has been launched to diagnose USS patients and collect information about them to gain new insights into this rare disease with the goal to optimize patient care.
Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is an abnormality of the platelets. It is an extremely rare coagulopathy (bleeding disorder due to a blood abnormality), in which the platelets contain defective or low levels of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GpIIb/IIIa), which is a receptor for fibrinogen. As a result, no fibrinogen bridging of platelets to other platelets can occur, and the bleeding time is significantly prolonged.
Treatment of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a medical emergency, since the associated hemolytic anemia and platelet activation can lead to renal failure and changes in the level of consciousness. Treatment of TTP was revolutionized in the 1980s with the application of plasmapheresis. According to the Furlan-Tsai hypothesis, this treatment works by removing antibodies against the von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease ADAMTS-13. The plasmapheresis procedure also adds active ADAMTS-13 protease proteins to the patient, restoring a normal level of von Willebrand factor multimers. Patients with persistent antibodies against ADAMTS-13 do not always manifest TTP, and these antibodies alone are not sufficient to explain how plasmapheresis treats TTP.
Those diagnosed are usually treated with taking a low dose (80–100 mg) Aspirin a day. Anticoagulants (e.g. Warfarin, Coumadin) or clopidogrel (Plavix) are often additionally prescribed following formation of a medically significant clot. Thrombelastography is more commonly being used to diagnose hypercoagulability and monitor anti-platelet therapy.