Epidemiologic survey of thrombocytopenia in dogs: a report on 987 cases.
Thrombocytopenia was documented in 987 of 18,910 (5.2%) dogs admitted to North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, between 1983 and 1989. Classifying thrombocytopenic dogs by etiologic groups revealed the following proportionate ratios: 5% (48/987) immune-mediated thrombocytopenia; 13% (130/987) neoplasia-associated thrombocytopenia; 23% (224/987) inflammatory/infectious thrombocytopenia; and 59% (585/987) miscellaneous thrombocytopenia. Dogs with immune-mediated thrombocytopenia had significantly (P < 0.05) lower platelet counts (mean 36,760 +/- 50,288 microliter) than dogs in the other three groups, and Doberman Pinschers were overrepresented in all groups except the immune-mediated thrombocytopenic group. We conclude that thrombocytopenia is a prevalent and potentially important diagnostic finding in a variety of disease states.
Grindem
Carol B.
CB
Departments of Microbiology, Pathology and Parasitology and Companion Animal and Special Species Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606.
Breitschwerdt
Edward B.
EB
Corbett
Wayne T.
WT
Jans
Heather E.
HE