Thrombocytopenia

A disorder that is characterized by a deficiency of platelets which is often associated with abnormal bleeding. The condition may arise as a result of many diseases including leukemia, some forms of anemia, infection with the HIV virus which causes AIDS, and Gaucher"™s disease as well as a number of conditions in which the body uses or destroys platelets, three of the most notable being idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS).