Mediterranean macrothrombocytopenia

Platelet count, platelet size, and circulating platelet biomass concentration estimates made with an erythrocyte-calibrated electronic sizing system on EDTA-anticoagulated blood samples gave population medians and 95% ranges for 145 asymptomatic Mediterranean and 200 healthy Northern European subjects. The Mediterraneans had lower platelet counts [161,000 (89,000–290,000)/mul compared with 219,000 (148,000-323,000)/mul] and higher arithmetic mean volumes [17.8 (10.8- 29.2) cu mum compared with 12.4 (9.9-15.6) cu mum], while the individual lognormal platelet size distribution profiles were comparable [geomatric standard deviations of 1.78 (1.60-1.98) against 1.70 (1.54-1.88)]; and the platelet biomass concentrations, given by count per microliter times mean volume times 10- minus 7 and expressed as a volumetric percentage of whole blood, were almost identical [0.286% (0.216%-0.379%) against 0.272% (0.201%-0.367%)]. Mediterranean macrothrombocytopenia is, therefore, considered a benign morphologic variant that requires differentiation from thrombocytopenias in which the circulating platelet biomass concentration is decreased.