What is the course of the disease?

At the beginning of the disease, the affected person develops disease-specific symptoms such as punctiform bleeding (petechiae) or a conspicuously increased tendency to bleed compared to non-affected persons. As the disease progresses, these symptoms manifest themselves as more and more platelets are destroyed. The petechiae increase in number and can combine to form larger hematomas.

Over time, these symptoms become more and more severe. Those affected show ever larger hematomas and bleeding tendencies with ever smaller wounds and injuries. In addition, bleeding no longer occurs only superficially on the surface of the skin, but also in urine, stool or vaginal bleeding.

The patient feels increasingly weak and helpless due to the heavy blood loss. Rarely can a spontaneous healing of the disease occur. However, it is not known how and by what means a cure can be achieved.

Patients who do not have spontaneous remission are dependent on medication (glucocorticoids, immunoglobulins) throughout their lives. Those affected with Werlhof’s disease do not necessarily have this disease for life. However, since the causes of the disease are still not clearly understood, possible cures cannot be specifically attributed to a treatment or therapy.

Nevertheless, spontaneous cures can often occur, especially in childhood. Without any apparent reason, the disease regresses and the affected person no longer shows any signs of Werlhof’s disease. The risk of dying from Werlhof’s disease increases with age.

Patients over 60 years of age have a mortality rate of around 13%, while those under 40 years of age have a mortality rate of less than 0.4%. Werlhof’s disease is not considered hereditary. So if a mother or father has a known case of Werlhof’s disease, this should not have any effect on a future child.

However, in order to distinguish Werlhof’s disease from other thrombocytopenia, which may be hereditary, a detailed examination and diagnosis should be carried out. A risk of infection of the disease can be excluded. In general, the disease can heal on its own, especially in childhood. However, if the disease persists for 12 months or longer, the chance of recovery is very small. It is then classified as a chronic disease.