ENLmedical.com: Conditions And Concerns: Medical Encyclopedia: Thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytopenia

Causes and Risks:
Platelets are cells in the blood that are essential to blood clotting. Thrombocytopenia includes disorders where there are not enough platelets, and disorders where the platelets do not function properly.

These disorders include:

idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
primary thrombocythemia
thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia
drug-induced nonimmune thrombocytopenia
acquired platelet function defect
congenital platelet function defects
cyclic neutropenia

Prevention:
Most of the conditions associated with thrombocytopenia are not preventable. See the specific disorders.

Symptoms:

bruising
nosebleeds or oral bleeding
petechial rash ( pinpoint red spots )

Note: Other symptoms may be present depending on the specific disorder.

Signs and Tests:

CBC with platelet count
bone marrow aspiration or biopsy
PTT (coagulation studies)
PT (coagulation studies)
platelet associated antibodies
platelet aggregation test

Treatment:
Treatment depends on the specific disorder. Some will resolve without treatment, others require various treatments such as a transfusion of platelets .

Prognosis:
The outcome depends on the causative disorder.

Complications:

hemorrhage
GI bleeding ( vomiting blood or blood in the stools )

Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call your health care provider if you experience unexplained bruising or bleeding .