A review article recently published in Children details thrombocytopenia causes and treatment in children encompassing a wide range of subtypes, including fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT).
Each type of thrombocytopenia has unique pathophysiology, clinical presentation and treatment guidelines. In this study, the authors sought to summarize each of these conditions to improve timely diagnosis and management of these conditions.
Thrombocytopenia is characterized by a low platelet count, typically below 150 billion platelets per liter. Thrombocytopenia is often identified in critically ill children admitted to pediatric intensive care units and is associated with an increased risk of additional complications.
The authors emphasize that thrombocytopenia is a complex condition that may have multiple causes in a single child. This can range from maternal alloimmunization in the case of FNAIT to sepsis, malignancies, presence of other blood disorders and more.
Read more about FNAIT causes and risk factors
The study categorizes the mechanisms of thrombocytopenia into four groups: Decreased platelet production, sequestration, increased consumption of platelets, or destruction of platelets. Some patients may exhibit a combination of these subgroups.
In FNAIT, for example, the primary mechanism of disease is platelet destruction. Maternal antibodies attack fetal platelets, leading to platelet destruction and thrombocytopenia. This typically occurs when the fetus inherits the father’s platelet antigen, which is incompatible with that of the mother.
In other patients, platelet destruction may be a result of increased thrombin levels, heightened cytokine production, release of histone proteins from cells, dysregulation of von Willebrand factor, or other immune conditions. Therefore, it is critical that physicians closely evaluate the clinical characteristics and patterns of thrombocytopenia in their patients to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment, the authors emphasized.
“The timing of occurrence of thrombocytopenia, the degree of thrombocytopenia, and associated clinical features in a given child will dictate the investigation of pathophysiologic causes and management,” the study concluded.
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