Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Diagnosis of EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1993
- Authors:
- Hinchcliff, K W et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
This report discusses a case of a horse that had low platelet counts, which are important for blood clotting. The horse's blood showed fewer platelets when tested with a substance called EDTA, but the counts were normal when tested with heparin, another substance. This condition is known as EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia, meaning the low platelet count was not due to a real problem with the horse's blood but rather a reaction to the EDTA. When a horse has low platelet counts but isn't showing signs of bleeding, it's important for veterinarians to consider this type of pseudothrombocytopenia. The diagnosis can be confirmed by looking at blood samples under a microscope and comparing the results from the two different tests.
Abstract
Thrombocytopenia in horses may be idiopathic or secondary to chronic infectious or inflammatory diseases (eg, equine infectious anemia, lymphosarcoma), drug administration, bone marrow depression, myelophthisic disease, or disseminated intravascular coagulation. This report describes EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia in a horse. Platelet counts for blood containing EDTA were consistently less than reference range, but platelet counts of blood containing heparin were within reference range. When thrombocytopenia is diagnosed in horses without clinical evidence of a bleeding tendency, EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia should be considered. The diagnosis can be confirmed simply by screening blood films for platelet clumps and by comparing platelet counts of paired blood samples, one containing EDTA and the other containing heparin.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8307824/