EDTA - Dependent Pseudothrombocytopenia: Case Report

Abstract

EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia is the mismeasurement of the thrombocyte count in EDTA anticoagulated blood, due to aggregation of these cells. The situation may be mistaken with true thrombocytopenia and may lead to incorrect diagnosis and treatment, and to loss of power and time. The aim of this case report was to draw attention to EDTA-dependent pseudotyhrombocytopenia, which is one of the possible causes of thrombocytopenia. Case; isolated thrombocytopenia was detected in the EDTA blood sample sent to our laboratory, which had been obtained from a patient hospitalized with the diagnosis of epilepsy in the red area of the emergency medicine unit of our hospital. Another blood sample was collected into Na-citrate, in which the thrombocyte count was observed to be within the normal ranges. Furthermore, thrombocyte aggregations were observed in the peripheral blood smears prepared from the sample with EDTA, whereas no aggregation was observed from the sample with citrate.