PubMedDate not supplied
On the ground of follow-up extended over many years the effectiveness was analysed of splenectomy in 93 children with idiopathic thrombocytopenia. Good and very good results of splenectomy were achieved in 84.95% of the cases treated surgically, in 15.05% no remission developed. In 27 splenectomized children recurrences appeared from 1 to 18 years after splenectomy. In 77.8% of cases the recurrences were transient, while in the remaining children qualified into the group with absent remission recurrences persisted throughout the whole follow-up period. In 3 children with unsatisfactory result of splenectomy accessory spleen was removed during repeated laparotomy, in two of them cure was obtained. No greater complications connected directly with the operation were noted. Severe viral and bacterial infections from 2 to 3 years after splenectomy developed in 3 children (3.23%) in 2 cases they were the cause of death (2.15%). Of decisive importance for good prognosis in children with this disease treated by splenectomy was normalization of platelet count immediately after the operation, preoperative disease duration not longer than 12 months, age below 10 years at the time of splenectomy, female sex, and spleen-liver index over 3.4.