Summary
The article is devoted to discussion of quite rare, but in clinical practice significant phenomenon - pseudothrombocytopenia. Pseudothrombocytopenia is defined as ex vivo thrombocytopenia, estimated by automated hematology analyzer, when in vivo number of circulating platelets is normal. This article provides an overview of the causes and the formation mechanisms of this phenomenon. The most common mechanism is on anticoagulant ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dependent platelet agglutination and is explained by the fact that naturally occuring circulating antibodies recognize and attach to the GPIIb / Ilia complex epitope located on the platelet membrane, which reveals itself only in contact with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Platelets conglutinate each other, form agglutinants which are recognized by automated counters and classified as larger volume blood cells - show falsely low platelet counts. The less frequent reasons of pseudothrombocytopenia are also described: platelet satellitism, antiphospholipid antibodies, treatment with GPIIb / Ilia antagonists, giant platelets and other causes. There is an explanation how the phenomenon can be recognized from the results and diagrams of automated hematology analyzer in the article. The importance of pseudothrombocytopenia recognition in clinical practice is discussed - inexpedient or even dangerous to patient's health clinical decisions are avoided. Pseudothrombocytopenia is also suspected when automated he matol ogy an alyzer shows se vere thrombocytopenia, although the patient has no symptoms or signs of thrombocytopenia and it is confirmed by cytomorphological testing of properly prepared blood smear. The article also discusses the methods of correction of pseudothrombocytopenia.
Keywords: thrombocytopenia, satellitism, pseudothrombocytopenia, platelets.
