Clinical Utility of Platelet Indices in Flagged Thrombocytopenia: Diagnostic Insights

Abstract

Background: Automated blood cell analyzers provide platelet indices that can aid in evaluating thrombocytopenia. These indices include MPV, PDW, PCT, PLCC, and PLCR, routinely reported with complete blood counts. This study investigated their diagnostic value in distinguishing and identifying the underlying cause of thrombocytopenia, potentially improving diagnosis and clinical assessment.
Methods: A comparative observational study involving 100 thrombocytopenic patients and 100 control subjects was conducted. Thrombocytopenia cases were divided into two states based on the outcome of the index values. The platelet indices were also measured.
Results: The indices significantly boosted patients with thrombocytopenia compared to controls (P<0.0001). The platelet indices of hyperdestructive thrombocytopenic patients (n=79) were considerably higher than those of hypoproliferative thrombocytopenic patients (n=21) (P<0.0001). In particular, MPV, PDW, and PLCR exhibited higher areas under the ROC curve (0.665, 0.823, and 0.754, respectively), suggesting that they were better at predicting, finding, and explaining the difference between the two scenarios of thrombocytopenia.
Conclusion: MPV, PDW, and PLCR are useful for diagnosing thrombocytopenic patients in either hyperdestructive or hypoproliferative scenarios. MPV, PDW, and PLCR provide both sensitivity and specificity, rendering them dependable screening tools for assessing the severity of pathologies that lead to thrombocytopenia.