Platelet adhesiveness in symptomatic women taking oral contraceptives.

In order to clarify the predisposition of women taking combined estrogen-progesterone oral contraceptives to thrombotic episodes platelet adhesiveness to glass was studied in 4 groups of women: 45 without clinical or laboratory evidence of a systemic coagulopathy 18 having symptoms related to vascular or suspected thrombotic abnormalities and taking oral contraceptives (6-96 months) 20 asymptomatic women on oral contraceptives (2-84 months) and 9 normal pregnant women. Platelet adhesiveness was increased in women developing thrombovascular symptoms while taking hormones but there was no significant difference between the counts of the various groups. Within the symptomatic group no correlation existed between the nature and severity of the symptoms and the level of adhesiveness. However it is possible that along with other coagulation changes platelet adhesiveness to glass may prove adjunctive in defining women at increased risk of developing thrombovascular symptoms while taking oral contraceptives and further define the mechanism of the increased risk.