Platelet satellitism: a rare, interesting, in vitro phenomenon

Platelet satellitism is a unique, uncommon, in vitro phenomenon seen in peripheral blood smears prepared from EDTA-mixed blood. This is seen in the form of platelets adhering to polymorphonuclear leucocytes imparting a rosette-like appearance. There is no definite causal association with any disease. The cause may be immunological or non-immunological. Severe rosetting may lead to a misdiagnosis of thrombocytopenia unless peripheral smears are examined. Here, we describe a case of incidentally detected platelet satellitism in a healthy 48-year old male subject during a routine check-up.