Thrombocytosis in adults: analysis of 777 patients

A total of 777 patients with thrombocytosis, defined as a platelet count of greater than 500 x 10(9)l-1, seen in a University hospital over a 1-year period, were studied prospectively for aetiology. The most frequent causes of thrombocytosis were infection (21.9%), rebound thrombocytosis (19.4%), tissue damage (17.9%), chronic inflammatory disorders (13.1%) and malignancy (5.9%). Thrombocytosis associated with multiple causative factors, occurring simultaneously, was seen in 6.1% of cases. Thrombocytosis of greater than or equal to 1 million x 10(9)l-1 was found most frequently in patients with multiple aetiological factors occurring at the same time, in myeloproliferative disorders, or in postsplenectomy patients.