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Platelets in gravitational disease: are they an aetiological factor?
Author(s) -
Goodfield M.J.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1985.tb12962.x
Subject(s) - thrombocytosis , medicine , etiology , platelet , pathogenesis , gastroenterology , immunology , mean platelet volume
It is now accepted that a fibrin diffusion barrier, secondary to chronically elevated peripheral venous pressure, is important in the pathogenesis of gravitational disease (Burnand et al. , 1982). Other factors may be active, however, in determining which patients develop gravitational changes while others with chronic venous disease are spared. Platelet counts were obtained in age‐ and sex‐matched patients with gravitational ulcers, gravitational eczema, endogenous eczema and normal controls. Causes of secondary thrombocytosis were excluded. Platelet counts were higher in patients with gravitational ulcers ( n = 50, mean = 429 ± 125) than normal controls ( n = 50, mean = 254 ± 54, P < 0.001). They were also higher in patients with gravitational eczema ( n= 50, mean = 379 ± 112) than in normal controls ( P < 0.001), and than in patients with endogenous eczema ( n = 30, mean ‐ 273 ± 60, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between patients with endogenous eczema and normal controls. In the ulcer group, healing (10 cases) produced a small but not significant fall in platelet count. Platelet volume estimation in 20 patients with each diagnosis suggests differences between both ulceration (mean = 9.65 fl) and controls (mean = 9.45 fl, t= 1.4) and gravitational eczema (mean = 9.79 fl) and controls ( t= 1.99). These findings suggest that two platelet parameters are elevated in gravitational disease, but not in another inflammatory dermatosis. In view of the effects of platelet aggregation on fibrin production, this may be of importance in the aetiology of this condition, and suggests alternative methods of treatment.