Studies of platelet adhesiveness, blood viscosity and the microcirculation in patients with thrombotic disease

Abstract

Analyses of platelet adhesiveness, blood viscosity and microvascular flow in conjunctival vessels were made in 100 patients, 65 of whom had thrombotic disease. Platelet adhesiveness (modified Salzman technique) was significantly increased ( P < 0.001) to 41 and 40 %, respectively, in patients with acute myocardial infarction ( n = 23) and with major artery occlusions ( n = 15) when compared with controls ( n = 16) which had 18 %. Blood viscosity was increased in all patients with arterial or venous thrombotic disease as well as correspondingly ill patients without thrombosis. The conjunctival microvasculature, as a reflection of atherosclerotic changes generally, showed abnormally advanced changes in 60 % of patients with arterial thrombotic disease and 35 % of patients with thrombophlebitis. It is concluded that platelet adhesiveness and vascular wall changes are significant contributing factors in arterial thrombotic disease. Increased blood viscosity in thrombotic disease is a secondary phenomenon.