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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffBone marrow — spongy tissue inside your bones — contains stem cells that can become red blood cells, white blood cells or platelets. Platelets travel through your blood vessels. They stick together to form clots (thrombi) to stop bleeding that occurs when you damage a blood vessel, such as when you cut yourself. A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood.
If you have thrombocytosis, your bone marrow overproduces the cells that form platelets (megakaryocytes), releasing too many platelets into your blood. If your blood test results show you have a high platelet count, it's important for your doctor to determine whether you have thrombocythemia or reactive thrombocytosis to know how to treat your condition.
Reactive thrombocytosis causes include:
- Infection
- Recent surgery
- Removal of your spleen
- Cancer
- Acute blood loss
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Hemolytic anemia — a type of anemia in which your body destroys red blood cells faster than it produces them, often due to certain blood diseases or autoimmune disorders
- Inflammation, such as from rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue disorders or inflammatory bowel disease
