Pseudothrombocytopenia: Two cases

Hippokratia 1998, 2(2):91-95

TA. Vyzantiadis, S. Vakalopoulou, E. Mandala, E. Lialia, V. Garipidou


Abstract

By the term pseudothrombocytopenia, the bibliography refers to a technical fault which occurs in the platelets counting by the automated analyzer and it is correlated with the use of anticoagulants, mainly EDTA by possible activation of platelets agglutinins. In two cases falsely low platelets counts were found when peripheral blood samples were collected with EDTA as anticoagulant. The first case refers to a man 40 years old, who had a blood examination, as a routine checking and the second one to a woman 39 years of age, who had a blood examination for spontaneous bruises. In both cases, normal platelets counts were found on slide preparations and in automated counting with heparin as anticoagulant.