Thrombocytopenia

Synonym: Thrombopenia
German: Thrombozytopenie

1 Definition

Thrombocytopenia is the condition when there is a reduced number of thrombocytes (<150,000/µl) in the blood.

2 Causes

There exists a wide range of causes for thrombocytopenias:

• Formation disorders
  • Congenital formation disorders
    • Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS)
    • TAR syndrome (thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome)
    • Fanconi anemia
    • May-Hegglin anomaly
  • Acquired formation disorders
    • Panmyelopathy
    • Bone marrow diseases (e.g. leukemias)
    • Bone marrow damage
    • Damage by medicines
    • Toxic damage (e.g. lead intoxication)
    • Physical damage (e.g. irradiation)
    • Crowding out by tumor mass
    • Substrate and factor deficiencies
    • Vitamin B12 deficiency
    • Folic acid deficiency
• Reduced life expectancy
  • Antibody reactions
    • Alloantibodies
    • Transfusion incident
    • Morbus haemolyticus neonatorum
  • Autoantibodies
    • Morbus Werlhof
    • Lupus erythematosus disseminatus
  • Increased blood clotting
    • Disseminated intravascular coagulation
  • Mechanical damage of the thrombocytes
    • Artificial heart valves
    • Use of heart-lung machine
    • Dialysis with extracorporeal circulation
• Diffusion disorders
  • Splenomegaly
  • Hypothermal anesthesia
• Laboratory artifact
  • Pseudothrombocytopenia

3 Symptoms

In thrombocyte counts below 30,000/µl, petechiae, hematoma and mucous membrane bleeding occur.

4 Therapy

The therapies of thrombocytopenia depend on the triggering cause. In case of a life-threatening decrease of thrombocytes, thrombocyte concentrate infusions.

5 Links

Information by merck

Thrombocytopenia during pregnancy