Causes of Thrombocytopenia

Mechanism

Examples

Bone marrow does not produce enough platelets

Leukemia

Lymphoma

Aplastic anemia

Heavy alcohol consumption

Vitamin deficiency anemias, including vitamin B12 and folate deficiency anemias

Some bone marrow disorders

Some chemotherapy drugs

Platelets become entrapped in an enlarged spleen

Cirrhosis of the liver that causes spleen enlargement due to abnormally high blood pressure in the large vein that brings blood from the intestine to the liver

Myelofibrosis

Gaucher disease

Platelets become diluted

Massive red blood cell replacement or exchange transfusion; stored red blood cells do not contain very many platelets

Use or destruction of platelets increases

Immune thrombocytopenia

Hepatitis C virus infection, HIV infection and other viral infections

Conditions involving disseminated intravascular coagulation within blood vessels, as can occur with complications of childbirth, cancer, blood poisoning (septicemia) due to gram-negative bacteria, and traumatic brain damage

Cardiopulmonary bypass surgery

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

Hemolytic-uremic syndrome

Some vaccines, such as for measles, mumps, and rubella, influenza, hepatitis B, COVID-19