What is High Platelet Counts (Thrombocythemia)?
Thrombocythemia, also known as thrombocytosis, is a condition involving the overproduction of platelets by megakaryocytes in the bone marrow without a recognizable cause. Platelets are essential for blood clotting but for those with this disease the platelets may not clot properly.
Primary thrombocythemia is a slowly progressing disorder, caused by overgrowth of a type of cell that is a precursor of blood cells. Although the platelets are primarily affected, the red blood cells and white blood cells are also involved.
The disease has similarities to polycythemia vera, chronic myelogenous leukemia, and myelofibrosis. Usually it affects people in middle age. Bleeding can occur from the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, urinary tract, or skin.
The formation of blood clots (thrombosis), may occur with bleeding episodes. It may even cause strokes in some people. Risk factors are unknown. The incidence is about 3 out of 100,000 people.
Common Symptoms May Include:
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Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract
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Bleeding from the gums
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Bloody stools
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Dizziness
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Easy bruising
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Enlarged lymph nodes (rare)
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Headache
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Nosebleeds (epistaxis)
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Numbness of hands or feet
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Prolonged bleeding from surgical procedures or tooth extraction
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Ulcers on fingers or toes
Blood Clots
In primary thrombocythemia, blood clots most often develop in the brain, hands, and feet. But they can happen anywhere in the body, including in the heart and intestines.
Blood clots in the brain cause symptoms in 25 percent of people who have this condition. Common symptoms are chronic (ongoing) headache and dizziness. In extreme cases, stroke may occur.
Blood clots in the tiny blood vessels of the hands and feet leave them numb and red. This may lead to an intense burning and throbbing pain felt mainly on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI) & U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM)
