Platelet Satellitism: A Rare In Vitro Phenomenon Causing Spurious Thrombocytopenia
Sharmila Dudani
Keywords :
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, Thrombocytopenia, White blood cells
Citation Information :
Dudani S. Platelet Satellitism: A Rare In Vitro Phenomenon Causing Spurious Thrombocytopenia. Journal of Medical Academics 2023; 6 (1):31-32.
Platelet satellitism is the adherence of platelets around leukocytes (mainly neutrophils, but occasionally seen around lymphocytes and monocytes). It is a rare and important in vitro cause of spurious thrombocytopenia and may lead to unnecessary further investigations in patients. It usually occurs with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) anticoagulated blood and is not seen with other anticoagulants. It may be seen in a variety of diseases as well as in normal individuals. Both immunological and nonimmunological mechanisms are believed to play a role. Platelet morphology and function are usually normal. We report a case of a 34-year-old female who underwent a complete blood count (CBC) as a part of a routine health checkup. As platelet satellitism was recognized on examining the peripheral smears, it highlights the importance of the same for confirmation.
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