Howard Weitz, MD

November 10, 2010

Elective splenectomy has been scheduled for a 60-year-old man with severe idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) that has responded poorly to treatment. His current platelet count ranges from 5000/μL to 10,000/μL despite several months of aggressive therapy, including 2 courses of high-dose corticosteroids and 2 courses of intravenous immunoglobulin.