"Thrombocytes" (English name platelet), popularly known as "clotting cells" or "blood platelets", are blood cells that take part in blood clotting. The low number of platelets in the blood is called "thrombocytopenia". It is not a disease, but a laboratory finding caused by a disease.
To elaborate a little more, the platelet count of a healthy person generally varies between approximately 150,000 - 450,000/mm3 in one mm3 of blood. A platelet count of less than 150,000/mm3 is defined as thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia is not a disease, but a laboratory finding caused by a disease whose cause needs to be investigated.
Is leukemia the only cause?
“Leukemia is not the only cause of thrombocytopenia. ”
There are three main reasons;
The situation of not being produced in sufficient quantities: It may be a direct malfunction of the bone marrow itself, or external factors that disrupt the production of the bone marrow. Factors may also cause this situation. Disruption of the production of main cells of platelets, infections, bone marrow failure, congenital low platelet count and leukemia can be counted in this group.
Disintegration of platelets: Whether there is production in the bone marrow. Whether or not it occurs, it is a condition in which platelets produced in the bone marrow and released into the blood are broken down by internal and external factors. Immune system disorders, medications, infections (infections can disrupt the production of the bone marrow and also destroy the platelets entering the blood), rheumatic diseases, some slow-progressing leukemias, and some blood diseases that cause other blood cells (red blood cells) to break down are the first reasons that come to mind.
Impairment in the distribution of platelets in the body: Advanced spleen size, general anesthesia applied with artificial change of body temperature causes these cells to accumulate in certain parts of the body, increasing the number of cells.
What kind of symptoms occur in case of low platelet count?
In mildly low cases, no complaints or symptoms may be observed. There may be painless bruises on the arms, legs and trunk, and nose and gum bleeding. with leukemia In patients, thrombocytopenia is usually accompanied by deterioration in red and white blood cell counts. Although it generally presents a picture in which bleeding is at the forefront, in some cases, on the contrary, thrombosis (blood clotting condition) may also be detected.
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