Detection of Helicobacter pylori from Extracted Teeth of a Patient with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by isolated cryptogenic thrombocytopenia due to a transient or persistent reduction in platelet count. Many patients with ITP have shown improved platelet count after eradication therapy. However, there have been no studies regarding in the oral cavity of patients with ITP. Here, we describe a patient with ITP whose oral samples exhibited . A 64-year-old woman with ITP came to our hospital with chief complaints that required oral surgery, including tooth extraction and cystectomy. Bacterial DNA from was confirmed on the extracted tooth, but was not detected in the saliva taken at the time. Bacterial DNA from was detected on the suture around the extraction socket, which was removed at 10 days post-operation. However, DNA was not detected in other oral samples at 10 or 30 days post-operation. A urea breath test was carried out in the gastrointestinal clinic at 60 days post-operation, which revealed no presence of in the gastrointestinal tract. These results suggest that teeth with severe bacterial infections may be a potential reservoir of for patients with ITP.