Garcia's disease. Cyclic thrombocytopenic purpura in a child and abnormal platelet counts in his family.

After a critical study, a splenectomy was performed in a 6-year-old boy with chronic thrombocytopenic purpura. Failure of surgery and immunosuppressive therapy prompted new investigations which led to the discovery of a cyclic thrombocytopenic purpura related to a periodic variation in maturity of megakaryocytes. The patient's platelets were morphologically and functionally normal and it was not possible to demonstrate neither immunological mechanism, nutritional deficiency, influence of the environment nor consumption or excessive destruction of platelets. Cyclic thrombocytopenia was detected in the father and also cyclic variations in platelet counts from normal values to over 1,000 x 10(9)/1 in 4 of 9 siblings. In view of these findings. The abnormal condition in this family was named Garcia's disease.