Differential Diagnosis of Thrombocytopenia

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Authors	ČERVINEK Libor DOUBEK Michael
Year of publication	2014
Type	Chapter of a book
MU Faculty or unit	Central European Institute of Technology
Citation
Description	Decreased platelet counts can be due to a number of disease processes causing decreased platelet production, increased platelet destruction, or can be medicationinduced. We have to differentiate inherited thrombocytopenias, primary immune thrombocytopenias (ITP), secondary immune thrombocytopenias, myelodysplastic syndromes with thrombocytopenia, bone marrow failure syndromes and non-immune thrombocytopenias. ITP is the most common cause of isolated thrombocytopenia. There are three diagnostic cornerstones for diagnosing ITP – patient history, physical examination, and peripheral blood smear confirming thrombocytopenia to exclude pseudothrombocytopenia. Other tests recommended to establish ITP diagnosis are direct antiglobulin test and tests for Helicobacter pylori, HIV and hepatitis C.