ETIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF THROMBOCSYTOPENIA IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Introduction: Thrombocytopenia (TCP) is not considered as a disease but a deficient number of platelets in the blood. It is considered to be a diagnostic challenge as the disorders which cause TCP are diverse, with failed production at one extreme and the accelerated destruction at the other. The result of this is that the differential diagnosis has a vast range. Aims and Objective: To diagnose thrombocytopenia and investigate its causes in the Hematology laboratory of Lahore General Hospital Lahore, a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, cross sectional study was carried out on screened 388 patients with TCP, who came to the hematology department of Lahore general hospital, for bone marrow biopsy over a period of 7 years from January 2012 to December 2018. Patients with pseudo-thrombocytopenia were excluded and all these patients were investigated in a systemic manner. Results: The most common affected age group of thrombocytopenia was from birth to second decade of life respectively with male predominance. The most common cause of thrombocytopenia was found to be anemia. Conclusion: Thrombocytopenia is a major cause of abnormal bleeding in many cases. It is important to diagnose it early as the treatment differs depending upon the etiology. As TCP is multifactorial hence clinic-pathological approach is important in these cases.