How is thrombocytopenia defined?
Listen to pronunciation. (THROM-boh-sy-toh-PEE-nee-uh) A condition in which there is a lower-than-normal number of platelets in the blood. It may result in easy bruising and excessive bleeding from wounds or bleeding in mucous membranes and other tissues.
What are Platelettes?
Platelets are pieces of very large cells in the bone marrow called megakaryocytes. They help form blood clots to slow or stop bleeding and to help wounds heal. Having too many or too few platelets or having platelets that don’t work as they should can cause problems.
How is thrombocytopenia diagnosed?
A complete blood count (CBC) measures the levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your blood. For this test, a small amount of blood is drawn from a blood vessel, usually in your arm. If you have thrombocytopenia, the results of this test will show that your platelet count is low.
What are the symptoms of thrombocytopenia?
Symptoms
- Easy or excessive bruising (purpura)
- Superficial bleeding into the skin that appears as a rash of pinpoint-sized reddish-purple spots (petechiae), usually on the lower legs.
- Prolonged bleeding from cuts.
- Bleeding from your gums or nose.
- Blood in urine or stools.
- Unusually heavy menstrual flows.
- Fatigue.
What are the four mechanisms of thrombocytopenia?
There are four primary causes of thrombocytopenia: hypoproliferation (lack of production), sequestration, consumption (utilization), and destruction. Sampling or laboratory artifact may also lead to falsely low platelet counts.
What are bone marrows?
(bone MAYR-oh) The soft, spongy tissue that has many blood vessels and is found in the center of most bones. There are two types of bone marrow: red and yellow. Red bone marrow contains blood stem cells that can become red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.
What causes platelet aggregation?
Substances such as collagen, ristocetin, arachidonic acid, adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP), epinephrine, and thrombin can stimulate platelets and hence induce aggregation. Response to these aggregating agents (known as agonists) provides a diagnostic pattern for different disorders of platelet function.
How serious is thrombocytopenia?
Complications. If left untreated, a low platelet count can be very serious because it can cause internal bleeding of the brain or the intestines. In the worst cases, this may even cause death. That is why it is essential to seek medical care if you think you might be at risk.
What is the pathophysiology of thrombocytopenia?
The pathophysiology of ITP is complex and abnormalities of both the B-cell and the T-cell compartments have been identified. The mechanisms of the thrombocytopenia involve both increased platelet destruction and, in a significant proportion of cases, impaired platelet production.
What causes bone marrow disease?
Causes of bone marrow diseases include genetics and environmental factors. Tests for bone marrow diseases include blood and bone marrow tests. Treatments depend on the disorder and how severe it is. They might involve medicines, blood transfusions or a bone marrow transplant.
What is another name for bone marrow?
bone marrow, also called myeloid tissue, soft, gelatinous tissue that fills the cavities of the bones. Bone marrow is either red or yellow, depending upon the preponderance of hematopoietic (red) or fatty (yellow) tissue.
What is the meaning of platelet clumping?
Platelet clumping occurs when the blood platelets responsible for coagulation stick to one another to form clusters. The presence of platelet clumping has no clinical consequences other than preventing instruments from properly counting blood platelets.
What is the meaning of platelet aggregation?
Platelet aggregation, the process by which platelets adhere to each other at sites of vascular injury, has long been recognized as critical for hemostatic plug formation and thrombosis.
How do you fix thrombocytopenia?
If your thrombocytopenia is caused by an underlying condition or a medication, addressing that cause might cure it. For example, if you have heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, your doctor can prescribe a different blood-thinning drug….Treatment
- Blood or platelet transfusions.
- Medications.
- Surgery.
- Plasma exchange.