Platelet ultrastructural morphology and its relevance in essential hypertension

A preliminary study of platelet ultrastructural morphology by transmission electron microscopy in patients with established essential hypertension was carried out. Platelets of hypertensive patients were found to be in various stages of 'platelet activation'. According to the degree of transformation observed, platelets were classified into six forms: discoid, pseudotubular, membranous, saccular, pseudopodical and hyaline and correlated to the severity of hypertension. The pseudopodical and hyaline types platelets were particularly observed in severely hypertensive patients, and/or those with clinical evidence of target organ damage. Platelet ultrastructural changes may form the basis of a better understanding of the aetiology and pathogenesis of essential hypertension, and may serve as a marker in assessing the extent of underlying in vivo endothelial injury and tendency to thrombotic complications.