Recent advances in platelet distribution width

Abstract

Platelet distribution width (PDW) is a regular parameter in blood routine examination which reflects the
variation of platelet size distribution with a range from 8.3% to 56.6%. PDW is a measure of platelet anisocytosis
dependent on individual platelet volume distribution. Thrombocrit (or plateletcrit) is the percentage of blood
volume occupied by platelets and is an assessment of circulating platelet mass. Platelets in whole blood can
be detected using the same electrical or electro-optical measurement methods that are being used to count
red cells. Platelets must be separated from red cells using an upper threshold, whereas debris and electrical
noise must be separated using a lower threshold. Many recent advancements in terms of PDW have been
demonstrated in this research. First, it was tested whether the PDW was based on both mean platelet volume
and Platelet (Thrombocyte) count Test (PLT) in a population of patients with high PLTs. In the second stage,
we looked into whether combining these three parameters could help differentiate between patients with
reactive and autonomous thrombocytosis. Other studies are needed to validate these preliminary findings,
and they should be expanded to include PDW tested on other automated blood counters.