A patient with recurrent hypothermia associated with thrombocytopenia

A 69 year old woman had 13 hospital admissions because of hypothermia attributed to self-neglect. On each occasion she was found to be thrombocytopenic, and the platelet count always returned to normal with rewarming. The case records of all patients admitted to the Victoria Infirmary between 1986 and 1990 with a primary diagnosis of hypothermia were reviewed. Two other patients of the 75 assessed were found to have had thrombocytopenia linked to hypothermia, but neither showed a recurrent relationship.