Prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background There is an emerging understanding of the increased risk of stroke in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP). We aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracrania...

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Main Authors: Syed Ameen Ahmad, Olivia Liu, Amy Feng, Andrew Kalra, Apurva Dev, Marcus Spann, Aaron M. Gusdon, Shruti Chaturvedi, Sung-Min Cho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:Neurological Research and Practice
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-025-00374-3
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author Syed Ameen Ahmad
Olivia Liu
Amy Feng
Andrew Kalra
Apurva Dev
Marcus Spann
Aaron M. Gusdon
Shruti Chaturvedi
Sung-Min Cho
author_facet Syed Ameen Ahmad
Olivia Liu
Amy Feng
Andrew Kalra
Apurva Dev
Marcus Spann
Aaron M. Gusdon
Shruti Chaturvedi
Sung-Min Cho
author_sort Syed Ameen Ahmad
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background There is an emerging understanding of the increased risk of stroke in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP). We aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients with ITP and iTTP in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods We used PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus using text related to ITP, iTTP, stroke, AIS, and ICH from inception to 11/3/2023. Our primary outcome was to determine prevalence of AIS and/or ICH in a cohort of ITP or iTTP patients (age > 18). Our secondary outcomes were to determine stroke type associated with thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) in ITP patients, as well as risk factors associated with stroke in ITP and iTTP patients. Results We included 42 studies with 118,019 patients (mean age = 50 years, 45% female). Of those, 27 studies (n = 116,334) investigated stroke in ITP patients, and 15 studies (n = 1,685) investigated stroke in iTTP patients. In all ITP patients, the prevalence of AIS and ICH was 2.1% [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.8-4.0%] and 1.5% (95% CI 0.9%-2.1%), respectively. ITP patients who experienced stroke as an adverse event (AE) from TPO-RAs had an AIS prevalence of 1.8% (95% CI 0.6%-3.4%) and an ICH prevalence of 2.0% (95% CI 0.2%-5.3%). Prevalence of stroke did not significantly differ between all ITP patients and those treated with TPO-RAs. iTTP patients had a prevalence of AIS and ICH of 13.9% (95% CI 10.2%-18.1%) and 3.9% (95% CI 0.2%-10.4%), respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed the prevalence of AIS and ICH was greater in iTTP patients vs. all ITP patients (p < 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Meta-regression analysis revealed none of the collected variables (age, sex, history of diabetes or hypertension) were risk factors for stroke in all ITP patients, although there were high levels of data missingness. Conclusions Prevalence of different stroke types was lower in all ITP patients vs. iTTP patients. Additionally, ITP patients experienced a similar prevalence of stroke regardless of if they were specifically denoted to have been treated with TPO-RAs or not, supporting the continued use of TPO-RAs in management. Risk factors for stroke remain unclear, and future studies should continue to investigate this relationship.
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spelling doaj-art-001ab11e58734ff8a334eede297cd42a2025-08-20T01:48:38ZengBMCNeurological Research and Practice2524-34892025-03-017111110.1186/s42466-025-00374-3Prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a systematic review and meta-analysisSyed Ameen Ahmad0Olivia Liu1Amy Feng2Andrew Kalra3Apurva Dev4Marcus Spann5Aaron M. Gusdon6Shruti Chaturvedi7Sung-Min Cho8Division of Neurosciences Critical Care and Cardiac Surgery, Departments of Neurology, Surgery, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDivision of Neurosciences Critical Care and Cardiac Surgery, Departments of Neurology, Surgery, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDivision of Neurosciences Critical Care and Cardiac Surgery, Departments of Neurology, Surgery, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDivision of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDivision of Neurosciences Critical Care and Cardiac Surgery, Departments of Neurology, Surgery, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineInformationist Services, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineDivision of Neurocritical Care, Department of Neurosurgery, McGovern School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science CenterDivision of Hematology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins UniversityDivision of Neurosciences Critical Care and Cardiac Surgery, Departments of Neurology, Surgery, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineAbstract Background There is an emerging understanding of the increased risk of stroke in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP). We aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients with ITP and iTTP in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods We used PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus using text related to ITP, iTTP, stroke, AIS, and ICH from inception to 11/3/2023. Our primary outcome was to determine prevalence of AIS and/or ICH in a cohort of ITP or iTTP patients (age > 18). Our secondary outcomes were to determine stroke type associated with thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs) in ITP patients, as well as risk factors associated with stroke in ITP and iTTP patients. Results We included 42 studies with 118,019 patients (mean age = 50 years, 45% female). Of those, 27 studies (n = 116,334) investigated stroke in ITP patients, and 15 studies (n = 1,685) investigated stroke in iTTP patients. In all ITP patients, the prevalence of AIS and ICH was 2.1% [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.8-4.0%] and 1.5% (95% CI 0.9%-2.1%), respectively. ITP patients who experienced stroke as an adverse event (AE) from TPO-RAs had an AIS prevalence of 1.8% (95% CI 0.6%-3.4%) and an ICH prevalence of 2.0% (95% CI 0.2%-5.3%). Prevalence of stroke did not significantly differ between all ITP patients and those treated with TPO-RAs. iTTP patients had a prevalence of AIS and ICH of 13.9% (95% CI 10.2%-18.1%) and 3.9% (95% CI 0.2%-10.4%), respectively. Subgroup analysis revealed the prevalence of AIS and ICH was greater in iTTP patients vs. all ITP patients (p < 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively). Meta-regression analysis revealed none of the collected variables (age, sex, history of diabetes or hypertension) were risk factors for stroke in all ITP patients, although there were high levels of data missingness. Conclusions Prevalence of different stroke types was lower in all ITP patients vs. iTTP patients. Additionally, ITP patients experienced a similar prevalence of stroke regardless of if they were specifically denoted to have been treated with TPO-RAs or not, supporting the continued use of TPO-RAs in management. Risk factors for stroke remain unclear, and future studies should continue to investigate this relationship.https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-025-00374-3
spellingShingle Syed Ameen Ahmad
Olivia Liu
Amy Feng
Andrew Kalra
Apurva Dev
Marcus Spann
Aaron M. Gusdon
Shruti Chaturvedi
Sung-Min Cho
Prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Neurological Research and Practice
title Prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full Prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_fullStr Prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_short Prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a systematic review and meta-analysis
title_sort prevalence and characteristics of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura and immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura a systematic review and meta analysis
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-025-00374-3
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