Platelet survival in myelodysplastic syndromes

A platelet survival study with indium-111 oxine was performed in 6 patients with a myelodysplastic syndrome. A markedly shortened platelet life-span (range 0.50-2.65 days; normal 6.5-12 days) was obtained in each case. Platelet production ranged from 53,100 to 430,800 platelets/mm3/day (normal 66,200 +/- 14,600). A second isotopic study was performed in 1 case with platelets from a normal compatible donor. The nearly complete normalisation of the platelet life-span (from 0.85 to 5.50 days) indicates an intracorpuscular origin of the defect.