Thrombocytopenia skin changesD69.61 + Hauterkrankung

Haemorrhagic diathesis with petechial skin bleeding in case of platelet deficiency.

There are 3 types of thrombocytopenia:

1. thrombocytopenia due to a formation disorder in the bone marrow

• Reduced thrombocytopoiesis
  • Congenital
  • Acquired (bone marrow damage due to medication, infections, etc.)
• Maturation disorder of the megakaryocytes (e.g. vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency)

2. thrombocytopenia due to increased peripheral turnover (megakaryote count in bone marrow increased, half-life of peripheral platelets significantly reduced)

• Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP D69.58): primarily as idiopathic ITP, secondary ITP in lymphomas or HIV infection, among others, or induced by medication (e.g. fludarabine, heparin)
• Thrombocytopenia of other genesis (e.g. photopheresis/küsntlikche heart valves - surface contact)

3. thrombocytopenia due to combined formation and degradation disorders (e.g. alcoholic toxic liver cirrhosis)

Decrease in platelet production or platelet life or increased consumption.

Petechiae, possibly ecchymoses. Bleeding from the nose and gums, haematuria, hypermenorrhoea, metrorrhagia, melena. Petechial haemorrhages in the brain and heart with corresponding symptoms.

Dermatologically relevant thrombocytopenias are caused by unexplained skin bleeding after banal mechanical, thermal or inflammatory skin damage. They always show the characteristic of the damage and thus possess a typical, non-physiological pattern defined by the type of exposure (e.g., streak-like purpura due to scratching effects).

Normal life span of circulating platelets is 9-10 days.