Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Thrombocytosis is not an uncommon finding in hemograms of children with an incidence
of 6%–15% among hospitalized children. This study aims to determine the etiology of
thrombocytosis and analyze various platelet parameters in children attending our hospital.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective observational study was carried out in a tertiary care center in Odisha,
in eastern part of India, for 6 months from July 2016 to December 2016. All children
of age group 1–14 years of age attending pediatrics and other pediatric super specialty
outdoors and/or admitted to indoors and whose complete blood counts (CBC) were done
were included in the study. The CBC parameters such as hemoglobin, red blood cell
indices, and platelet indices (platelet distribution width [PDW], mean platelet volume
[MPV], platelet large cell ratio [P-LCR]) were noted.
RESULTS: Out of 2500 hemograms done in pediatrics age group, 272 (10.8%) patients showed thrombocytosis.
About 99.6% of cases were of secondary thrombocytosis. Only one case of primary thrombocytosis
was encountered. The most common cause of secondary thrombocytosis was infection (39.5%)
alone followed by iron deficiency anemia (14.1%). With increasing platelet counts,
a decrease in MPV, P-LCR, and PDW was noted which was statistically significant (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: Thrombocytosis is not rare (10.8%) in children. Secondary thrombocytosis is common
and predominatly attributed to infection.
Keywords
Platelet indices - primary - secondary - thrombocytosis
