Blood & Cancer

In this episode, we review three hematology cases. One case illustrates the work-up and treatment of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Another case demonstrates how to diagnose and manage heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). And the final case is a patient who presented with anemia, a new mitral valve murmur, and mild splenomegaly. Host David H. Henry, MD, reviews these cases with three residents from Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia – Sheila De Young, DO; Ronak Mistry, DO; and Debika Shinohara, MD, PhD. Case 1: Suspected ITP with Sheila De Young, DO Patient presentation: A 50-year-old female with no past medical history and incidental platelet count of 4,000/microL (normal 150,000-450,000/microL [150-450 x 109/L]). On physical exam, there was no lymphadenopathy, and the spleen was nonpalpable. She had obvious petechiae on her legs. A urine pregnancy test was negative. Her hemoglobin and white blood cell counts were normal via complete blood count. ITP definition: Acquired thrombocytopenia caused by a