Treatment of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in a 23-Years-old Patient by Iranian Traditional Medicine: A Case Report

Abstract

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is a common disease in children and young adults, as well as being the most common cause of acute thrombocytopenia in patients with good general health status.
The case is a 23-year-old woman with no history of disease or any type of temperament disorder. She was referred to the haematology and oncology specialists in October 2014, following a sudden drop in platelet count, and complaints regarding numerous ecchymosis lesions in the upper and lower limbs. She was admitted to the Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz. Due to the repeated reduction of platelet count in the patient, the oncologist ordered splenectomy, which is the removal of spleen. In December 2014, she was brought to the traditional medicine clinic. Her platelet count was 17,000. The patient received health and nutritional considerations. Pharmaceutical measures, including administering medical herbs and combination drugs, were taken with the patient’s temperament and the disease status driving the course. Several practices, including cupping, massage, blood-letting, meditation, and yoga, and eventually rose water incense, were part of a compiled programme for the patient. In subsequent sessions, the platelet level considerably increased and after a month, was almost close to the normal level. After 40 days of treatment, the platelet count reached the normal level, and finally in July 2015, with full recovery of the patient, the corticosteroids and herbal medicines were completely stopped. As is evident from the monthly monitoring of the patient until September 2016, she showed no clinical or laboratory symptoms explaining thrombocytopenia, and her platelet count was at normal level. Due to the absence of signs of ecchymosis and normal level of blood platelets in paraclinical testing, it seems that the combination of modern and Iranian traditional medicine can pave the way for the treatment of a number of diseases. Hence, further studies are required in order to find a cure for different diseases, according to the doctrines of Iranian effective medicine.