EDTA Induced Platelet Agglutination (EIPA) – A Curious Case Report and Review

EDTA-Induced Platelet Agglutination (EIPA) is an in vitro phenomenon whereby EDTA causes agglutination of platelets in blood samples, leading to an artificially low platelet count on automated analyzers. A misdiagnosis of Thrombocytopenia may lead to unnecessary transfusion of platelets, thereby increasing the risks of associated morbidity. EIPA is thought to be the most common cause of pseudothrombocytopenia (PTCP) encountered in clinical laboratories. We report a case of pseudo-thrombocytopenia in a forty six year-old-female patient who was referred as a case of Isolated Thrombocytopenia and was found to have EDTA-Induced Platelet Agglutination (EIPA) with no associated pathologies.