Transient appearance of postoperative EDTA-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia in a patient after gastrectomy

Abstract

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-dependent pseudothrombocytopenia (EDTA-PTCP) is a well known phenomenon. Antiplatelet antibodies cause platelet clumping in EDTA anticoagulated blood samples, and blood count analysers calculate a spurious low platelet count. We describe a case of a transient appearance of EDTA-PTCP in a patient after gastrectomy. A 58-year-old man underwent partial gastrectomy in for gastric cancer. Preoperatively, his platelet count was in a normal range, and the surgical procedure was performed without bleeding complications. At day 10 after surgery the patient showed a low platelet count, which could be identified as EDTA-PTCP. The phenomenon disappeared in a following postoperative time interval of 2 months. In cases of recently occurring thrombocytopenias EDTA-PTCP should always be considered as a possible cause of low platelet count, in particular in cases of inconspicuous clinical findings. Appropriate laboratory analysis should be applied.