Clinical haematology · UKMLA & AKT
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
Key high-yield points
- TTP is a thrombotic microangiopathy caused by absent/severely deficient ADAMTS13, leading to accumulation of ultra-large vWF multimers, platelet-rich microthrombi, and mechanical red cell fragmentation (microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, MAHA).
- Acquired TTP - IgG autoantibodies against ADAMTS13 (most common); triggers include pregnancy, HIV, SLE, drugs
- Congenital TTP (Upshaw-Schulman syndrome) - ADAMTS13 gene mutations; presents in childhood
- Drugs - quinine (most classic), ciclosporin, ticlopidine, mitomycin C, tacrolimus
- Overrepresentation of Black African and Afro-Caribbean individuals in TTP registries
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