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The platelet phase, the second stage of hemostasis, commences around 15-20 seconds after an injury. It follows and overlaps with the vascular phase, during which blood vessels constrict to minimize blood loss.
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Thromboembolic Disorders
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Structure and Function of Platelets

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The cell fragments known as platelets are disc-shaped, with an average diameter of about 3 μm and a thickness of roughly 1 μm. They play a crucial role in the body's vascular clotting system, which also involves plasma proteins, blood cells, and blood vessel tissues.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Procoagulant Platelet Characterization by Measuring Phosphatidylserine Exposure and Microvesicle Release from Human Purified Platelets

Procoagulant Platelet Characterization by Measuring Phosphatidylserine Exposure and Microvesicle Release from Human Purified Platelets

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Reduced platelet aggregation in a boy with scurvy.

F Dey¹, A Möller, B Kemkes-Matthes

¹Department of Child Neurology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany. Friederike.Dey@paediat.med.uni-giessen.de

Klinische Padiatrie

|October 17, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Pediatric scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency, can cause platelet dysfunction and bleeding. Supplementation with ascorbic acid normalized platelet aggregation, suggesting a link between vitamin C and blood clotting in children.

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Microfluidics in Assessing Platelet Function

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Turbidimetry on Human Washed Platelets: The Effect of the Pannexin1-inhibitor Brilliant Blue FCF on Collagen-induced Aggregation

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Microfluidics in Assessing Platelet Function

Microfluidics in Assessing Platelet Function

Published on: November 8, 2024

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Hematology
Pediatrics

Background:

Scurvy, a condition caused by vitamin C deficiency, is typically associated with impaired collagen synthesis, leading to symptoms like bruising and bleeding.
The exact mechanisms contributing to the hemorrhagic diathesis in pediatric scurvy are not fully understood, with collagen abnormalities being the primary focus.

Observation:

A case study of a 9-year-old autistic boy with a highly restricted diet presented with classic scurvy symptoms, including petechiae, gingival bleeding, and bone pain.
Platelet aggregometry in this patient revealed significantly reduced thrombocyte aggregation, a measure of platelet function.

Findings:

Vitamin C supplementation led to the normalization of platelet aggregation in the patient.
This suggests that platelet dysfunction is a contributing factor to the bleeding tendencies observed in scurvy.

Implications:

Ascorbic acid deficiency should be considered in the differential diagnosis of children presenting with unexplained acquired thrombocytopathy or bleeding disorders.
This finding broadens the understanding of scurvy's pathophysiology beyond collagen defects to include potential hematological abnormalities.