Abstract
Sixty-nine cases of thrombocytopenia in which splenectomy had been performed have been reviewed. New cytological criteria are described for the diagnosis of disseminated lupus erythematosus by the examination of the splenic tissue.
Six cases of thrombocytopenia associated with the ingestion of drugs and eight with infectious diseases responded promptly and permanently to splenectomy. The thrombocytopenia associated with disseminated lupus erythematosus (in 16 cases) and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (in 39 cases) had a much more variable response. Approximately three-fifths of patients in each group had a remission sustained for at least 12 months following splenectomy. In general those patients who had thrombocytopenia for more than one year before surgery were less likely to respond to splenectomy.
