Risk of diagnostic delay in congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

Essentials Congenital thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (cTTP) is a very rare thrombotic microangiopathy. Its rarity and great phenotype heterogeneity may account for misdiagnosis. We report the history of a middle-aged woman with cTTP, misdiagnosed until adulthood. Accurate clinical history is crucial for early diagnosis to prevent long-term sequelae. SUMMARY: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an acute life-threatening disorder characterized by multiple organ ischemia due to disseminated thrombus formation in the microvasculature. The congenital form of the disease (Upshaw-Schulman syndrome) is related to ADAMTS13 mutations. Adulthood-onset of TTP does not exclude the congenital form of the disease and a diagnostic delay may account for a great morbidity burden in these patients. We describe the case of a middle-aged woman who presented to our attention with a clinical diagnosis of a chronic relapsing form of TTP. The medical history of the patient raised the suspicion of a congenital form of TTP. Phenotype and genotype tests were performed, and clinical diagnosis was confirmed. Upshaw-Schulman syndrome is a rare congenital disease with a great phenotype heterogeneity that can be diagnosed also in adulthood. Accurate clinical history is crucial. Early diagnosis can prevent recurrences and long-term organ damage with long-term sequelae.