Platelet and Coagulation Abnormalities in Pediatric Hematological Malignancies: Potential for Hemorrhagic Events.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the platelet counts and coagulation profiles in pediatric patients with the most common types of hematological malignancies (HMs) to assess the predisposition to thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study carried out from 2016 to 2022. The research encompassed 172 children under the age of 16 diagnosed with HMs. The data were obtained from King Salman Medical City's Maternity and Children's Hospital in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

Platelet count was statistically observed to be low in all prevalent types of HMs in our study, including B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AML-M4), T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), and acute promyelocytic leukemia (AML-M3). The coagulation profile exhibited variability, with prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and international normalized ratio (INR) significantly prolonged in AML-M3 patients, while only PT and INR were prolonged in other types.

CONCLUSIONS

The study data reveals significant alterations in platelet count and coagulation profiles in pediatric patients with HMs, indicating an increased risk of hemorrhagic complications. The subtype of HMs may specifically influence clinical complications associated with thrombotic and hemorrhagic events and should be consid-ered in the evaluation of platelets and coagulation profiles.