Thrombocytopenia in homosexual men.

The office records of two private practices with a preponderance of homosexual patients were reviewed for cases of males with unexplained thrombocytopenia. Twenty-five patients meeting the selection criteria were found. The clinical and laboratory features of these patients were reviewed and compared to those characteristically seen in classic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura. The mean age of the group was 36.5 years. There was a high incidence of a history of sexually transmitted diseases. Sixty percent had another hematologic abnormality in addition to thrombocytopenia. The clinical outcomes for these 25 patients were as follows: eight (32%) had a spontaneous increase in platelets; four (16%) had a stable count not requiring therapy; 12 (48%) received high-dose prednisone; seven (28%) failed prednisone therapy and went on to splenectomy; two (8%) subsequently developed CDC-defined AIDS.