Thrombocytosis and spontaneous abortion

✍ Scribed by Fred Rosner; Hans W. Grünwald

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 53 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0361-8609
• DOI: 10.1002/ajh.2830270319

✦ Synopsis

Thrombocytosis and Spontaneous Abortion

Falconer et al. [I] describe two cases of essential thrombocythemia (ET) in young women with recurrent spontaneous abortions, fetal growth retardation, and preeclampsia and suggest that anti-platelet drugs be given during pregnancy in such cases. The evidence for the diagnosis of ET in both patients is far from convincing and is limited to a high platelet count and an increase in megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. Both patients are exceptionally young for ET and neither patient has clinical evidence of bleeding nor leukocytosis. The first patient did not have splenomegaly and her platelet count was never greater than 854,000/dI. The second patient clearly had post-splenectomy thrombocytosis since her platelet count was normal prior to the removal of the spleen.

It is possible that the hypothesis of Falconer et al. that high platelet counts may increase the risk of spontaneous abortion may be valid. It is also possible that the thrombocytosis occurred secondary to the abortion. In either event, the diagnosis of ET in their two patients cannot be made with certainty with the information presented.