Platelet Size and Number in Alcoholic Thrombocytopenia

STUDIES of platelet volume, size, and function have demonstrated that large, heavy platelets represent younger, more physiologically active forms and that small platelets represent older, senescent forms.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Garg, Amorosi and Karpatkin8 showed that determination of the megathrombocyte number on a peripheral blood smear is useful in estimation of megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet turnover. We studied the platelet-size distribution in patients with acute alcoholism and thrombocytopenia to determine if the percentage of megathrombocytes is related to platelet number and recovery from thrombocytopenia. Such a relation would suggest that alcohol affects megakaryocyte activity.9 10 11 12 13 Materials and MethodsDaily platelet counts14 and estimation of platelet-size . . .