Danazol as a second-line treatment for immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
The retrospective study by Chang et al. describes the characteristics of a cohort of 375 ITP patients. The first conclusion is that corticosteroids are efficient as a first-line option, which is not really a surprise. The paper then focuses on 2 second-line treatments, splenectomy and azathioprine. Whereas the former has long been the reference for chronic/refractory ITP (2), the latter is used much more rarely and is not even mentioned in a timely review of "old" ITP medications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
2019 Jan. Eur J Haematol.102(1):97-98. Epub 2018 Nov 9.