Iron Def and platelet count

[MudPhud20XX]

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I just had a question that was a clinical vignette of iron def. But the platelet count was high. Any idea why you would get high platelet with iron def?

 

[SBR249]

what does platelet count have to do with iron levels? Iron is needed for heme synthesis for hemoglobin for RBCs. Platelets arise from megakaryocytes.

 

[NeuroLAX]

what does platelet count have to do with iron levels? Iron is needed for heme synthesis for hemoglobin for RBCs. Platelets arise from megakaryocytes.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=thrombocytosis+iron+deficiency

Reactive thrombocytosis can be seen secondary to iron deficiency anemia.

 

[SBR249]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=thrombocytosis iron deficiency

Reactive thrombocytosis can be seen secondary to iron deficiency anemia.

OK so let me amend that by saying "what does platelet count have to do with iron levels that the NBME expects us to know for Step 1"?

 

[thehundredthone]

Probably secondary to the GI loss or whatever that was causing the anaemia. That's the extent to which it can be useful - to identify the underlying cause.

 

[SBR249]

I think the current thinking is that Fe deficiency anemia leads to increased epo levels which at high concentrations may cross react with receptors for thrombopoietin which then leads to thrombocytosis. But I doubt step tests that deep into the pathophys.

 

[Apoplexy__]

OK so let me amend that by saying "what does platelet count have to do with iron levels that the NBME expects us to know for Step 1"?

The concept of iron deficiency being an important cause of thrombocytosis was tested on UWorld's Step 1 bank, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[SBR249]

The concept of iron deficiency being an important cause of thrombocytosis was tested on UWorld's Step 1 bank, if I'm not mistaken.

If you say so, I no longer have a subscription to UW and can't find any mention of the association between reactive thrombocytosis and iron deficiency in FA or pathoma.

 

[Transposony]

I just had a question that was a clinical vignette of iron def. But the platelet count was high. Any idea why you would get high platelet with iron def?

Due to overactive bone marrow.

 

[Psai]

you really need to think about things before you start spamming questions