What is the Difference Between Thrombocytopenia and Thrombocytosis

The key difference between thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis is that thrombocytopenia is a type of platelet disorder in which the patient has a low platelet count in the blood, while thrombocytosis is a type of platelet disorder in which the patient has a high platelet count in the blood.

Platelets are cells that are responsible for making blood clots when a blood vessel is injured. These blood cells clump together to block the injury site. Platelets just live for a week. Then the body destroys them and makes new ones. There are lots of different groups of disorders affecting platelets in the body, including thrombocytopenia, thrombocytosis, and dysfunction disorders.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Thrombocytopenia 
3. What is Thrombocytosis
4. Similarities – Thrombocytopenia and Thrombocytosis
5. Thrombocytopenia vs Thrombocytosis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Thrombocytopenia vs Thrombocytosis

What is Thrombocytopenia?

Thrombocytopenia is a blood disorder that occurs when a blood platelet count of a person is very low. People who have thrombocytopenia do not have enough platelet to form blood clots. If they get a cut or another injury, they may bleed too much, and the bleeding can be hard to stop. Thrombocytopenia can usually affect people of all ages, races, and genders. However, for unknown reasons, approximately 5% of pregnant women develop mild thrombocytopenia right before childbirth. In rare instances, thrombocytopenia is inherited.

More commonly, certain disorders, conditions, and medications, including alcohol use disorder, autoimmune disorders that cause ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura), bone marrow diseases like aplastic anemia, leukemia, certain lymphomas, cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, enlarged spleen caused by cirrhosis or Gaucher disease, exposure to toxic chemicals (arsenic, benzene, pesticides), medications that are used to treat bacterial infections (antibiotics), seizure, heart problems and viruses like hepatitis C, CMV, EBV, and HIV may cause a low platelet count.

The symptoms of thrombocytopenia include nosebleed, bleeding gums, blood in stool, urine or vomit, heavy menstrual periods, petechiae, purpura, and rectal bleeding. Moreover, this condition can be diagnosed through a physical exam, blood count, blood clot tests, bone marrow biopsy, and imaging tests (ultrasound and CT scan). Furthermore, treatment options for thrombocytopenia include treating underlying conditions by changing the medications, blood transfusion, splenectomy, and other medicines like steroids, and immunoglobulins that reduce platelet destruction and stimulate platelet production.

What is Thrombocytosis?

Thrombocytosis is a type of platelet disorder in which the patient has a high blood platelet count. When thrombocytosis has no apparent underlying condition as a cause, the disorder is called primary thrombocythemia (essential thrombocythemia). This is a blood and bone marrow disease. However, when the thrombocytosis is caused due to an underlying condition like an infection, it is known as reactive thrombocytosis (secondary thrombocytosis).

The symptom of this condition may include headache, dizziness or light-headedness, chest pain, weakness, and numbness or tingling of the hands and feet. Moreover, thrombocytosis can be diagnosed through physical examination, blood count, genetic tests for the JAK2 gene, and bone marrow biopsy. Furthermore, treatment options for thrombocytosis include treating underlying conditions, taking aspirin to prevent blood clots, medicines such as hydroxyurea or anagrelide to suppress platelet production by the bone marrow, interferon treatment, and plateletpheresis.

What are the Similarities Between Thrombocytopenia and Thrombocytosis?

• Thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis are two types of platelet disorders.
• Both disorders may have a genetic basis.
• They can be due to underlying conditions.
• Both disorders can be diagnosed through blood tests.
• They are treated through specific medicines.

What is the Difference Between Thrombocytopenia and Thrombocytosis?

Thrombocytopenia is a type of platelet disorder in which the patient has a low blood platelet count, while thrombocytosis is a type of platelet disorder in which the patient has a high blood platelet count. Thus, this is the key difference between thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis. Furthermore, the disease frequency of thrombocytopenia in the USA is 3.3 cases per 100,000 per year, while the disease frequency of thrombocytosis in the USA is 2.5 cases per 100,000 per year.

The below infographic presents the differences between thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Thrombocytopenia vs Thrombocytosis

Thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis are two types of platelet disorders. Thrombocytopenia is a type of platelet disorder in which the patient has a low blood platelet count, while thrombocytosis is a type of platelet disorder in which the patient has a high blood platelet count. So, this summarizes the difference between thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis.

Reference:

1. “Thrombocytopenia (Low Platelet Count).” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. “Thrombocytosis.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Oral petechiae” By Mdscottis – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Thrombocytosis” By Erhabor Osaro (Associate Professor) – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia