Bacterial infections and thrombocytopenia in chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

A bacterial infection was considered to be responsible for provoking or containing episodes of thrombocytopenia in 5 patients with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). In 3 patients the course of the disease was continuous and in 2 of them remission was attained after eradication of the infection. In the other 2 patients the course was intermittent and a number of relapses was provoked by the infection. The possible causal connection of chronic ITP and bacterial infections is briefly discussed.