Document Type : Case Report
Authors
1 Medicine, Quran and Hadith Research Center Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
2 Medicine, Quran and Hadith Research Center & Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Homeopathy can be applied to treat various diseases and conditions such as cancer, allergy, mood disorders, headache and pain. This case showed that homeopathic medicine can be a treatment modality for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), an autoimmune-mediated hematologic disorder.
Case Presentation: The patient was a 5.5–year-old child with ITP who referred to the homeopathic clinic with extensive petechiae and purpura on her body. Her platelet count was 15000/mcL and her anti-dsDNA and ANA were negative on her first visit. Her disease had first been diagnosed at the age of 2.5 years. She had undergone routine therapy for ITP; however, despite 15 months of corticosteroid therapy and IVIG injections, her platelet count was still low. After treatment with homeopathic remedies, her platelet count increased and signs of ITP disappeared.
Conclusion: Homeopathic remedies can be considered as complementary and alternative medicines for ITP treatment protocols.
Keywords
- Teut M, Lüdtke R, Schnabel K, Willich SN, Witt CM. Homeopathic treatment of elderly patients-a prospective observational study with follow-up over a two year period. BMC Geriatr. 2010;10(1):10. [DOI]
- Rostock M, Naumann J, Guethlin C, Guenther L, Bartsch HH, Walach H. Classical homeopathy in the treatment of cancer patients-a prospective observational study of two independent cohorts. BMC Cancer. 2011;11(1):19. [DOI]
- Längler A, Spix C, Edelhäuser F, Kameda G, Kaatsch P, Seifert G. Use of homeopathy in pediatric oncology in Germany. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2010;2011.
- de Carvalho AC, Bonamin LV. Viscum album (L) extracts in cancer treatment: a systematic review of in vitro and in vivo studies. Int J High Dilut Res. 2015;14(2).
- Tenti E, Gardini AC, Nanni O, Foca F, Cumero S. Use of non-conventional medicines by cancer patients. Eur J Oncol. 2015;19(3):144-9.
- Bishayee K, Mondal J, Sikdar S, Khuda-Bukhsh AR. Condurango (Gonolobus condurango) Extract Activates Fas Receptor and Depolarizes Mitochondrial Membrane Potential to Induce ROS-dependent Apoptosis in Cancer Cells in vitro: CE-treatment on HeLa: a ROS-dependent mechanism. J Pharmacopuncture. 2015;18(3):32-41. [DOI]
- Sikdar S, Kumar Saha S, Rahman Khuda-Bukhsh A. Relative Apoptosis-inducing Potential of Homeopa-thic Condurango 6C and 30C in H460 Lung Cancer Cells In vitro: -Apoptosis-induction by homeopathic Condurango in H460 cells. J Pharmacopuncture. 2014;17(1):59-69. [DOI]
- Banerjee K, Costelloe C, Mathie RT, Howick J. Homeopathy for allergic rhinitis: protocol for a systematic review. Syst Rev. 2014;3(1):59. [DOI]
- Solelhac G, Charpin D. Management of allergic rhinitis. F1000Prime Rep. 2014;6:94. [DOI]
- Roll S, Reinhold T, Pach D, Brinkhaus B, Icke K, Staab D, et al. Comparative effectiveness of homoeopathic vs. conventional therapy in usual care of atopic eczema in children: long-term medical and economic outcomes. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54973. [DOI]
- Naidoo P, Pellow J. A randomized placebo-controlled pilot study of Cat saliva 9cH and Histaminum 9cH in cat allergic adults. Homeopathy. 2013;102(2):123-9. [DOI]
- Eizayaga JE, Eizayaga JI. Prospective observational study of 42 patients with atopic dermatitis treated with homeopathic medicines. Homeopathy. 2012;101(1):21-7. [DOI]
- Shafei HF, AbdelDayem SM, Mohamed NH. Individualized homeopathy in a group of Egyptian asthmatic children. Homeopathy. 2012;101(4):224-30. [DOI]
- Chandrakant Nimgulkar C, Dattatray Patil S, Dinesh Kumar B. Anti-asthmatic and anti-anaphylactic activities of Blatta orientalis mother tincture. Homeopathy. 2011;100(3):138-43. [DOI]
- Grundling C, Schimetta W, Frass M. Real-life effect of classical homeopathy in the treatment of allergies: A multicenter prospective observational study. Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2012;124(1-2):11-7. [DOI]
- Rossi E, Bartoli P, Bianchi A, Da Fre M. Homeopathy in paediatric atopic diseases: long-term results in children with atopic dermatitis. Homeopathy. 2012;101(1):13-20. [DOI]
- Qureshi NA, Al-Bedah AM. Mood disorders and complementary and alternative medicine: a literature review. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:639-58. [DOI]
- Adler UC, Krüger S, Teut M, Lüdtke R, Schützler L, Martins F, et al. Homeopathy for depression: A randomized, partially double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-armed study (DEP-HOM). PLoS One. 2013;8(9):e75537. [DOI]
- del Carmen Macías-Cortés E, Llanes-González L, Aguilar-Faisal L, Asbun-Bojalil J. Individualized Homeopathic Treatment and Fluoxetine for Moderate to Severe Depression in Peri-and Postmenopausal Women (HOMDEP-MENOP Study): A Randomized, Double-Dummy, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0118440. [DOI]
- Schröder D, Weiser M, Klein P. Efficacy of a homeopathic Crataegus preparation compared with usual therapy for mild (NYHA II) cardiac insufficiency: results of an observational cohort study. Eur J Heart Fail. 2003;5(3):319-26. [DOI]
- Mehra P. Usefulness of homoeopathy in essential hypertension: an exploratory interventional trial. Int J High Dilut Res. 2015;14(1):16-9.
- Koley M, Saha S, Ghosh S. A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled feasibility study evaluating individualized homeopathy in managing pain of knee osteoarthritis. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2015;20(3):186-91. [DOI]
- Kundu T, Shaikh A, Kutty A, Nalvade A, Kulkarni S, Kulkarni R, et al. Homeopathic medicines substantially reduce the need for clotting factor concentrates in haemophilia patients: results of a blinded placebo controlled cross over trial. Homeopathy. 2012;101(1):38-43. [DOI]
- Posadzki P, AlBedah A, Khalil MM, AlQaed MS, Lee MS, Ernst E, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine for the prevention and treatment of migraine headache: an overview of systematic reviews. Focus Altern Complement Ther. 2015;20(2):58-73. [DOI]
- Danno K, Colas A, Masson JL, Bordet MF. Homeopathic treatment of migraine in children: results of a prospective, multicenter, observational study. J Altern Complement Med. 2013;19(2):119-23. [DOI]
- Simpson CA. Complementary Medicine in Chronic Pain Treatment. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2015;26(2):321-47. [DOI]
- Kelley BP, Shauver MJ, Chung KC. Management of Acute Postoperative Pain in Hand Surgery: A Systematic Review. J Hand Surg. 2015;40(8):1610-9. e1.
- Alam MM. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in children: a 10 years experience at tertiary care hospital. J Pak Med Assoc. 2014;64(12):1358-62.
- Kikuchi K, Miyakawa Y, Ikeda S, Sato Y, Takebayashi T. Cost-effectiveness of adding rituximab to splenectomy and romiplostim for treating steroid-resistant idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura in adults. BMC Health Serv Res. 2015;15(1):2. [DOI]
- Dash CH, Gillanders KR, Stratford Bobbitt ME, Gascoigne EW, Leach SJ. Safety and efficacy of Gammaplex(R) in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ClinicalTrials.gov--NCT00504075). PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e96600. [DOI]
- Ramakrishna R, Rehman A, Ramakrishna S, Alexander W, Yeo W. Use of Romiplostim in Patients with Chronic Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (cITP) During Peri‐Operative Period. Internal Med J. 2015.
- Zhou H, Xu M, Qin P, Zhang H-y, Yuan C-l, Zhao H-g, et al. A multicenter randomized open-label study of rituximab plus rhTPO vs rituximab in corticosteroid-resistant or relapsed ITP. Blood. 2015;125(10):1541-7. [DOI]
- Vecchio R, Intagliata E, La Corte F, Marchese S, Cacciola RR, Cacciola E. Late Results After Splenectomy in Adult Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. JSLS. 2015;19(1).
- Walsh AV, Collados NJ, Andújar MC, Gomez CG, Candel GR, Paniagua SP, et al. DI-077 Use of romiplostim in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Eur J Hospl Pharm. 2015;22(Suppl 1):A108-A9.
- Clark WF, Rock G, Barth D, Arnold DM, Webert KE, Yenson PR, et al. A phase-II sequential case-series study of all patients presenting to four plasma exchange centres with presumed relapsed/refractory thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura treated with rituximab. Br J Haematol. 2015;170(2):208-17. [DOI]