Can ITP Be Linked to Eczema?

Medically reviewed by Warren Brenner, M.D.

Written by Emily Van Devender

Posted on August 11, 2026

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Key Takeaways

People living with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and eczema may wonder if the two conditions are connected, and while eczema does not directly cause ITP, research suggests they may sometimes occur together, especially in children.

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If you live with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and also have eczema, you may wonder whether the two conditions are connected. Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition, but it isn’t considered an autoimmune disease. There are many types of eczema, with atopic dermatitis being the most common.

Eczema doesn’t directly cause ITP. However, research suggests the two conditions may sometimes occur together, especially in children. This article explains what they may have in common and when to talk with a doctor.

How ITP and Eczema Are Similar

ITP and eczema are both immune-mediated conditions, which means they involve problems with how the immune system works. They can also cause skin symptoms that look similar, so you might mistake one for the other at first glance.

🗳️ Have you ever mistaken ITP skin symptoms for eczema?

Yes, more than once

Yes, once

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Comparing Eczema and ITP Symptoms

When ITP bleeding happens in the skin, it can cause symptoms that look similar to a rash. Petechiae are small spots of bleeding that occur just under the skin when capillaries (small blood vessels) leak. Those spots may be purple, red, brown, or somewhere in between.

ITP skin symptoms: widespread flat red-purple petechiae and purpura on the lower leg — ITP skin symptoms compared with eczema. ITP may cause flat petechiae and purpura, while eczema typically appears dry, inflamed, thickened, or scaly.

(Left: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0/DermNet; right: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0/DermNet)

Eczema: a dry, red, thickened, scaly patch on the elbow — ITP skin symptoms compared with eczema. ITP may cause flat petechiae and purpura, while eczema typically appears dry, inflamed, thickened, or scaly.

(Left: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0/DermNet; right: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0/DermNet)

ITP can also cause purpura, which are larger areas of bleeding under the skin. Petechiae and purpura are mainly named based on their size.

Petechiae and purpura appear most often on the lower legs in ITP, but they can show up almost anywhere on the skin. Neither petechiae nor purpura is itchy or bumpy. They’re also not rashes, although they may look like rashes.

Eczema, on the other hand, commonly causes itchy rashes. Depending on the type of eczema, the rash may also be bumpy, raised, scaly, or blistered.

Can Eczema Cause ITP?

Eczema doesn’t directly cause ITP. One study found that children with atopic dermatitis were more likely to also have ITP, but this doesn’t prove that eczema causes ITP.

Risk Factors for Developing ITP With Eczema

Certain factors, such as age, sex, and other medical conditions, might increase a child’s risk of developing ITP along with eczema. If your child has atopic dermatitis, the following risk factors might increase the risk of also developing ITP:

Being over 2 years old
Being a boy, according to research in the journal Medicine
Living in a city or urban area
Being within the first three years of an eczema diagnosis
Having other autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, Sjögren’s disease, or lupus
Receiving more intensive eczema treatment, possibly because of more severe symptoms
Having allergic eye inflammation or certain other conditions linked to eczema

Interestingly, while atopic dermatitis is associated with asthma, having asthma doesn’t appear to affect the risk that a child with eczema will develop ITP.

However, research shows that children with allergic eye inflammation, which is also linked to atopic dermatitis, may be 10 times more likely to have ITP than children with atopic dermatitis who don’t have allergic eye inflammation. More research is needed to confirm this finding.

Reasons for ITP and Eczema Overlap

ITP and eczema share a few similar features that might explain why children with eczema are more likely to have ITP than children without eczema.

Immune System Activity

Both eczema and ITP involve changes in the immune system, which is usually your body’s defense against illness. Certain immune system chemicals may help explain why eczema and ITP sometimes happen together and why both commonly appear in young children.

In ITP, the immune system mistakenly targets the platelets in the blood because of autoantibodies that bind to the platelets. Your immune system then destroys the platelets, which causes a low platelet count in your blood.

In contrast, atopic dermatitis develops through a mix of genetic factors, immune system changes, a weakened skin barrier, and environmental triggers. Without enough protection from this barrier, the skin is more prone to damage. Triggers like allergens and temperature changes can increase itching and dryness.

Inflammation

Inflammation also has a role in both eczema and ITP. Eczema is considered an inflammatory condition — when allergens or irritants affect skin with eczema, that skin becomes inflamed. This inflammation can cause further damage to your skin while increasing symptoms like dryness and itching.

Many autoimmune conditions can involve inflammation resulting from abnormal immune system activity. People with ITP may have increased inflammation in the body.

Fatigue is also common, but scientists don’t yet know exactly what causes it. Inflammation may play a role along with other factors.

Autoimmune Activity

While eczema isn’t classified as an autoimmune disease, research suggests that immune-mediated diseases like eczema and asthma often co-occur with autoimmune diseases. This may be due to similar patterns of T cell activity in both condition types. Environmental factors may also affect the immune system and contribute to these conditions.

Eczema Medications

Studies have shown that children receiving higher levels of eczema treatment are more likely to have ITP, although this might be more related to severe or uncontrolled skin inflammation that called for higher levels of treatment.

Some medications can cause low platelet counts. Rare case reports have described ITP or severe thrombocytopenia in people taking dupilumab, but these reports don’t prove that dupilumab caused the condition. ITP is not considered to be a side effect of dupilumab.

When To Seek Medical Advice

ITP symptoms might first show up after you or your child has been sick with a viral infection, but not always. It might help to become familiar with the most common symptoms of ITP so you can bring them up with a doctor if you notice them.

Because ITP causes increased bleeding, many of the symptoms involve bleeding. The skin symptoms will be a little different from your typical eczema rash. You might notice:

Petechiae and purpura
Frequent or unexplained bruises
Frequent or heavy nosebleeds
Bleeding gums or mouth
Blood in your stool, which can make it look dark or black
Blood in your urine, which can make it look pink
Persistent tiredness

The only way to find out whether you or your child may have ITP is to see a doctor. A complete blood count can show whether the platelet count is low. Doctors also review symptoms, medical history, and other test results to rule out other causes.

People with ITP have a platelet count of less than 100,000 platelets per microliter of blood, while a normal platelet count is in the range of 150,000 to 400,000 platelets per microliter of blood.

Very low platelet counts can raise the risk of serious bleeding. However, the platelet count alone cannot predict whether a bleeding emergency will happen. Doctors also consider symptoms, age, medications, and other health factors.

Your doctor can help manage your eczema and ITP, or your child’s, at the same time. ITP treatment can reduce the risk of serious bleeding, including bleeding in the brain, when platelet counts are very low.