What're the main causes of itp?

ITP: When I am evaluating a patient with itp, the underlying illnesses i consider (in no particular order) are viral infections (especially hiv, hep b, and hep c), bacterial infections (especially h. Pylori), common variable immunodeficiency, non-hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis. In adults, most commonly, no underlying etiology is found.

In the old days....: The "i" in itp stood for idiopathic, which means we didn't know what was causing the problem. We now know this to be an autoimmune process where antibodies recognize proteins on the surface of platelets and target them for destruction by the reticuloendothelial system. Most cases follow an infection (usually viral), but they can also be the presenting feature of autoimmune disorders or malignancy.