Yoshiji Hitoshi, Ueno Yoshiyuki, Kurosaki Masayuki, Torimura Takuji, Hatano Etsuro, Yatsuhashi Hiroshi, Yamakado Koichiro
Department of Gastroenterology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
Department of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan.
Hepatol Res. 2021 Dec;51(12):1181-1195. doi: 10.1111/hepr.13715. Epub 2021 Oct 25.
Thrombocytopenia is highly prevalent in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and these patients often require invasive procedures that carry a risk of bleeding. To prevent bleeding, guidelines recommend increasing platelet counts in patients with CLD who have thrombocytopenia and are planned to undergo invasive procedures. There are currently two options to increase platelet counts in patients in this setting: platelet transfusion or thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPORAs). Several treatment algorithms have been developed in the US to help physicians choose the best course of treatment for each patient; however, to date, no such algorithm has been proposed in other countries, where the choice of treatment has been based on each physician's judgment and experience. Here, we discuss the pathogenesis and treatment of thrombocytopenia in patients with CLD, we review and present current evidence of the efficacy of TPORAs for the treatment of thrombocytopenia in patients with CLD, and we present our expert opinion on a Japanese treatment algorithm for thrombocytopenia in patients with CLD who are planned to undergo invasive procedures. This algorithm aims to provide guidance for optimal decision making in the selection of TPORA therapy or platelet transfusion based on the latest evidence and according to actual clinical practice.
