Circulating Platelet Aggregates In Thrombotic Pathologies
The dosage of circulating platelet aggregates following Wu and Hoak (CPA) was performed in 52 healthy volunteers acting as normal controls (N), in 205 consecutive patients admitted in a general hospital for pathologies other than thrombotic or cardiac ischaemia (group I), in 59 consecutive admissions for deep venous thrombosis (group II), in 45 consecutive admissions for pulmonary thromboembolism (group III), in 35 consecutive admissions for acute coronary insufficiency (group IV) and in 73 consecutive admissions for acute myocardial infarction demonstrated by electrocardiogram and specific enzymes (group V). The percentage of positive tests (CPA 0.80) in those various groups appeared as follows: In conclusion: The positivity of CPA is not a specific indicator of a thrombotic disease neither of acute coronary insufficiency (36.5% false positive tests). CPA is not sensitive for the diagnosis of thrombotic conditions.In the setting of ischaemic heart disease, CPA positivity appears with higher frequency when myocardial necrosis is demonstrated, However the two groups don’t differ significantly on a statistical basis (P non significant).