Thrombocytopenia Infection

Thrombocytopenia is a term used to describe a condition in which an individual has a lower than normal platelet count in the blood. Thrombocytopenia is not a disease or infection, but rather a symptom of other underlying medical conditions or problems. If left untreated, these underlying problems can cause the thrombocytopenia to become a serious medical complication.

Definition

• Thrombocytopenia refers specifically to the number of platelets--also known as thrombocytes--in the blood. Platelets are colorless blood cells that play an essential role in forming blood clots and preventing excessive blood loss when vessels in the circulatory system are damaged or broken. In a healthy adult, there are approximately 150,000 to 450,000 platelets present in each microliter of blood. If that number drops, the individual will suffer from a set of characteristic symptoms.

Symptoms

• Although thrombocytopenia can be caused by a variety of conditions and problems that display their own particular set of symptoms, a low blood platelet count results in specific symptoms of its own. These include excessive bleeding from even superficial cuts, nosebleeds that occur with no apparent cause and abnormally heavy menstrual periods in women. Individuals with thrombocytopenia may also have blood in their stools or urine and bruise very easily. Many develop a rash known as petechiae, caused by bleeding in the subcutaneous areas of the skin, especially the lower legs.

Causes

• While thrombocytopenia can, in some cases, be caused by rare inherited diseases, most cases result from one of two things: a condition that causes a reduction in the number of properly functioning platelets being produced, or a condition that results in the abnormally fast breakdown of normally produced platelets.

Platelet Production

• Any medical condition that severely affects the bone marrow and its ability to produce sufficient numbers of functioning blood cells can cause thrombocytopenia. These conditions include serious viral infections such as AIDS or HIV, cancers such as leukemia and certain types of anemia. In some cases, medications taken for the treatment of other conditions can suppress bone marrow function, resulting in thrombocytopenia.

Platelet Breakdown

• Other conditions cause normal populations of platelets to be used up or destroyed faster than the bone marrow is capable of replacing them. This can happen in some normal conditions, such as pregnancy, but it is more commonly a side effect of serious immune system disorders that target and destroy the platelets. These immune system disorders include lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Other causes can be severe bacterial infections, including E. coli infections, and infections that cause the platelets to form spontaneous clots in the blood.