Acquired Platelet Disorders

Acquired platelet disorders are important causes of bleeding. The most common causes include drug-induced platelet dysfunction, immune-mediated disorders and platelet disorders that are secondary to underlying bone marrow disorders, such as myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative neoplasms. The work up for acquired platelet function disorders requires careful consideration of the patient's medical history, prescription and nonprescription drug exposures and other health problems. While the diagnosis of drug-induced platelet dysfunction is often based solely on the bleeding history and verification of a normal platelet count, an evaluation for other causes may need investigations used to evaluate for inherited platelet function disorders. Some acquired platelet disorders are due to acquired genetic mutations affecting genes that are known to be mutated in congenital platelet disorders.