“What could be the cause of high platelet count in my blood report?”
I recently underwent a routine blood test report that indicated a platelet count that was much higher than the normal range. What could be the cause of this high platelet count?
1 Answer
There are a number of possible causes and it is difficult to differentiate the cause without more information. However, if the platelet count is the only abnormality identified on the CBC (complete blood count) then some of the possibilities would include reaction to underlying inflammation (infection, chronic smoking), iron deficiency, trauma, or surgery. Other possibilities would be congenital or surgical absence of a spleen, bleeding. Less likely, but more consequential are disorders of the bone marrow. If the platelet count is not excessive (say well under one million) one need not evaluate urgently. The first step would be to repeat to see if the value was spurious. If still elevated a blood smear evaluation and guidance on further evaluation from a hematologist would be warranted.
