ACCESSORY SPLENECTOMY IN THE MANAGEMENT OF RECURRENT IMMUNE THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA

Although splenectomy for chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is successful in the majority of patients, recurrence of thrombocytop enia may occur in association with a functional accessory spleen, some times years after operation. Identification and resection of the acces sory spleen under these circumstances may result in a sustained remiss ion. We describe a case of recurrent thrombocytopenia associated with an accessory spleen occurring 5 years after splenectomy in a young wom an with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Accessory splenectomy was successful in producing a sustained remission.