title: Octreotide-induced thrombocytopenia: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thrombocytopenia is an extremely rare complication of octreotide therapy and can be life threatening in the setting of esophageal variceal bleeding. We report a case of octreotide-induced reversible thrombocytopenia in a 54-year-old Caucasian man with alcohol-induced cirrhosis and upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our patient's platelet count dropped from 155,000/mm3 upon admission to 77,000/mm3 a few hours after initiation of octreotide therapy and stayed low until the drug's administration was discontinued. Significant recovery was achieved quickly after discontinuation of octreotide.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thrombocytopenia is a rare but potentially serious side effect of octreotide therapy and may complicate esophageal variceal bleeding. Physicians should be vigilant in identifying this potentially serious condition.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 825 Fairfax Avenue, Suite 410, Norfolk, VA 23507, USA. rashida@evms.edu.
authors: Armin
authors: A
authors: Rashidi
authors: Nahid
authors: N
authors: Rizvi