Platelet Satellitism: A Rare <italic>In Vitro</italic> Phenomenon Causing Spurious Thrombocytopenia

Platelet satellitism is the adherence of platelets around leukocytes (mainly neutrophils, but occasionally seen around lymphocytes and monocytes). It is a rare and important <italic>in vitro</italic> cause of spurious thrombocytopenia and may lead to unnecessary further investigations in...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Sharmila Dudani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher 2023-06-01
Series:Journal of Medical Academics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jmaacms.com/doi/JOMA/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-11003-0123
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Platelet satellitism is the adherence of platelets around leukocytes (mainly neutrophils, but occasionally seen around lymphocytes and monocytes). It is a rare and important <italic>in vitro</italic> 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.
ISSN:2581-8279