The management of idiopathic thrombotic microangiopathy. Changing trends

Thrombotic microangiopathy, including the two related syndromes thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic-uremic syndrome, is a rare and severe multisystem disorder, due to widespread deposition of intravascular microthrombi consisting mainly of platelets, with subsequent consumption thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, renal abnormalities, and neurologic disturbances. The epidemic, verotoxin-induced hemolytic-uremic syndrome, typically associated with prodromal diarrhea, mainly affects young children in small outbreaks. By contrast, idiopathic thrombotic microangiopathy generally affects adults in a sporadic form; it has a more devastating course and a less favourable outcome. Over 90% of the reported cases in the adult, when untreated, have progressed to death within three months of diagnosis [1, 2 and 3]. Since the introduction of plasma exchange, a dramatic change in the prognosis of the disease has taken place, although the mortality rate still remains considerable [4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9]. Indeed, improved survival is the most striking feature of adult thrombotic microangiopathy compared to some decades ago. In the present article we will focus on the evolving concepts able to exert a considerable impact in the management of the adult idiopathic form of thrombotic microangiopathy.