MORE ON FALSE THROMBOCYTOPENIAS - EDTA-DEPENDENT PSEUDOTHROMBOCYTOPENIA ASSOCIATED WITH A CONGENITAL PLATELET-RELEASE DEFECT

We report herein the case of a 54-year-old woman with a moderate bleed ing tendency, diagnosed as an EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia as sociated with a congenital platelet release defect. The patient, at th e age of 12, had a misleading diagnosis of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and all the recurrent bleeding problems she had during her li fe were referred to that disease. The recent correct diagnosis of a fa lse thrombocytopenia stimulated further laboratory investigation on th e cause of the patient's bleeding tendency with the consequent identif ication of a congenital platelet deficiency of the arachidonic acid pa thway. This finding is of relevant importance for the management of th e patient in case of elective surgery or hemorrhagic emergency.