Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in Hodgkin's disease after splenectomy.

This is a report of a patient with Hodgkin's disease who underwent a staging splenectomy and extensive radiation therapy and then developed "idiopathic" thrombocytopenic purpura. This appears to be the second known instance of such a combination of events. The patient was in complete remission of his Hodgkin's disease from radiation therapy at the time and continues in remission 56 mo since completing therapy. There was a complete and, apparently, permanent response of the thrombocytopenic purpura to a course of corticosteroid therapy.