Study of the relation between platelet count and periodontal condition in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura

Abstract

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a disease associated to the decrease of platelet count in peripheral blood, with repercussion on the oral cavity, due to the potential risk of spontaneous bleeding or provoking it. The aim of this work was evaluate the relation between the platelet count of chronic IPT patients and their periodontal condition. Thereunto, 31 patients were evaluated; 15 with this pathology (group 1) and 16 Dentistry students with no hematologic disease (group 2). Both groups were examined in their periodontal condition through gingival condition index (G), periodontal attachment loss (P) and gingival recession (R), as well as blood tests were performed to verify the platelet count, further a questionnaire on the socioeconomic aspects, access to dentistry services and mouth health self-perception. It was observed that 68.8% of IPT patients’ mouth sextants presented some degree of gingivitis, despite some 16.8% manifested loss of periodontal insertion. Gingival retraction occurred in only 2 patients of the group 1, and the average measure for this event in this group was 0.22mm. The questionnaires applied allowed characterizing the sample of the group 1 as low income and low education in relation to the group 2, but with need of dental treatment. We concluded, therefore, there was no direct relation between the platelet count of IPT individuals when the intraoral test was performed, and their periodontal conditions received the indexes “G”, “P” e “R”.