FIGURE 1. Platelet clumping (blue) was seen on peripheral blood smear. A misdiagnosis would have led to unnecessary tests and treatment. Ms. J, age 55 years, was referred to hematology for evaluation ...
The most common etiology of pseudothrombocytopenia is platelet clumping induced by EDTA, which is the anticoagulant present in the purple tube in which blood is collected for a CBC. This clumping is ...