Sunday, March 16, 2014

Sticky platelet syndrome

Here are a couple of reviews on this syndrome. [1] [2] Here is a case report and mini review. [3]

From the mini review:

Sticky platelets syndrome (SPS) is an inherited thrombophilia characterized by platelet hyperaggregability, which can lead to the higher risk of thrombosis. The etiology of SPS remains unclear, but several gene polymorphisms have been recently studied and autosomal dominant heredity is suspected. Although SPS is traditionally connected with arterial thrombosis, several cases of SPS as a cause of venous thromboembolism have been described.

VTE is being increasingly recognized, so the syndrome is now considered to be one of both venous and arterial hypercoagulability. Moreover, low dose aspirin controls the clinical manifestations. That is a little counterintuitive alongside the notion that platelets cause thrombi in arteries whereas the coagulation proteins do so in veins and heart chambers, exclusively. That notion is simplistic and has been challenged by accumulating evidence that antiplatelet agents may have some effectiveness in preventing VTE and cardiac thrombi.

There is apparently some controversy regarding its importance in the field of hypercoagulability. According to the articles cited above it is a common underlying cause of thromboembolic disease. If true it is underappreciated. UpToDate devotes only a very brief section to it and questions whether it is a real clinical entity.

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