PLATELET COUNTS IN PREGNANT WOMEN WITH PREECLAMPSIA

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-related complication leading to development of acute hypertensive condition that still continues to be a major concern for Obstetricians. Platelets play a key role in its pathogenesis since their activation leads to increased consumption and abnormal values, which can be used as markers of disease progression. Mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) are also the most important markers of platelet heterogeneity. Elevated MPV reflects the size of more active larger platelets, and elevated PDW reflects enhanced platelet heterogeneity, both of which have been linked to vascular function in preeclampsia. Although the platelet indices have been mentioned in the context of hypertensive disorders, there is still no finding of how they forecast severity and complications in PE.