Thrombocytopenia usually has no symptoms and is picked up on a routine full blood count (or complete blood count). Some individuals with thrombocytopenia may experience external bleeding such as nosebleeds, and/or bleeding gums. Some women may have heavier or longer periods or breakthrough bleeding. Bruising, particularly purpura in the forearms and petechiae in the feet, legs, and mucous membranes, may be caused by spontaneous bleeding under the skin.

Eliciting a full medical history is vital to ensure the low platelet count is not secondary to another disorder. It is also important to ensure that the other blood cell types, such as red blood cells and white blood cells, are not also suppressed.

Painless, round and pinpoint (1 to 3 mm in diameter) petechiae usually appear and fade, and sometimes group to form ecchymoses. Larger than petechiae, ecchymoses are purple, blue or yellow-green areas of skin that vary in size and shape. They can occur anywhere on the body.

A person with this disease may also complain of malaise, fatigue and general weakness (with or without accompanying blood loss). Acquired thrombocytopenia may be associated with a history of drug use. Inspection typically reveals evidence of bleeding (petechiae or ecchymoses), along with slow, continuous bleeding from any injuries or wounds. Adults may have large, blood-filled bullae in the mouth. If the person's platelet count is between 30,000 and 50,000/mm, bruising with minor trauma may be expected; if it is between 15,000 and 30,000/mm, spontaneous bruising will be seen (mostly on the arms and legs).

The signs and symptoms of TTP may at first be subtle and nonspecific. Many people experience an influenza-like or diarrheal illness before developing TTP. Neurological symptoms are very common and vary greatly in severity. Frequently reported symptoms include feeling very tired, confusion, and headaches. Seizures and symptoms similar to those of a stroke can also be seen.

As TTP progresses, blood clots form within small blood vessels (microvasculature), and platelets (clotting cells) are consumed. As a result, bruising, and rarely bleeding can occur. The bruising often takes the form of purpura, while the most common site of bleeding, if it occurs, is from the nose or gums. Larger bruises (ecchymoses) may also develop.

The classic presentation of TTP includes a constellation of five medical signs which classically support the clinical diagnosis of TTP, although it is unusual for patients to present with all 5 symptoms. The pentad includes:

- Fever

- Changes in mental status

- Thrombocytopenia

- Reduced kidney function

- Haemolytic anaemia (microangiopathic hemolytic anemia).

High blood pressure (hypertension) may be found on examination.

Thrombocytopenia is a condition characterized by abnormally low levels of thrombocytes, also known as platelets, in the blood.

A normal human platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. These limits are determined by the 2.5th lower and upper percentile, so values outside this range do not necessarily indicate disease. One common definition of thrombocytopenia requiring emergency treatment is a platelet count below 50,000 per microliter.

Characteristically, there is increased mucosal bleeding:

- menorrhagia

- easy bruising

- epistaxis

- gingival bleeding

- gastrointestinal bleeding

- postpartum bleeding

- increased bleeding post-operatively.

The bleeding tendency is variable but may be severe. Hemarthrosis, particularly spontaneous, is very rare, in contrast to the hemophilias.

Platelet numbers and morphology are normal. Platelet aggregation is normal with ristocetin, but impaired with other agonists such as ADP, thrombin, collagen or epinephrine.

Symptoms usually present from the period of birth to early childhood as: nose bleeds, bruising, and/or gum bleeding. Problems later in life may arise from anything that can cause internal bleeding such as: stomach ulcers, surgery, trauma, or menstruation. Abnormality of the abdomen, Epistaxis, Menorrhagia, Purpura, Thrombocytopenia, and prolonged bleeding time have also been listed as symptoms of various Giant Platelet Disorders.

Signs include the spontaneous formation of bruises (purpura) and petechiae (tiny bruises), especially on the extremities, bleeding from the nostrils and/or gums, and menorrhagia (excessive menstrual bleeding), any of which may occur if the platelet count is below 20,000 per μl. A very low count (<10,000 per μl) may result in the spontaneous formation of hematomas (blood masses) in the mouth or on other mucous membranes. Bleeding time from minor lacerations or abrasions is usually prolonged.

Serious and possibly fatal complications due to extremely low counts (<5,000 per μl) include subarachnoid or intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding inside the skull or brain), lower gastrointestinal bleeding or other internal bleeding. An ITP patient with an extremely low count is vulnerable to internal bleeding caused by blunt abdominal trauma, as might be experienced in a motor vehicle crash. These complications are not likely when the platelet count is above 20,000 per μl.

While there are several possible causes, they generally result in excessive bleeding and a lack of clotting.

In medicine (hematology), bleeding diathesis (h(a)emorrhagic diathesis) is an unusual susceptibility to bleed (hemorrhage) mostly due to hypocoagulability, in turn caused by a coagulopathy (a defect in the system of coagulation). Several types are distinguished, ranging from mild to lethal. Also, bleeding diathesis can be caused by thinning of the skin or impaired wound healing.

In DIC, the underlying cause usually leads to symptoms and signs, and DIC is discovered on laboratory testing. The onset of DIC can be sudden, as in endotoxic shock or amniotic fluid embolism, or it may be insidious and chronic, as in cancer. DIC can lead to multiorgan failure and widespread bleeding.

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a type of thrombocytopenic purpura defined as isolated low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) with normal bone marrow and the absence of other causes of thrombocytopenia. It causes a characteristic purpuric rash and an increased tendency to bleed. Two distinct clinical syndromes manifest as an acute condition in children and a chronic condition in adults. The acute form often follows an infection and has a spontaneous resolution within two months. Chronic immune thrombocytopenia persists longer than six months with a specific cause being unknown.

ITP is an autoimmune disease with antibodies detectable against several platelet surface antigens.

ITP is diagnosed by a low platelet count in a complete blood count (a common blood test). However, since the diagnosis depends on the exclusion of other causes of a low platelet count, additional investigations (such as a bone marrow biopsy) may be necessary in some cases.

In mild cases, only careful observation may be required but very low counts or significant bleeding may prompt treatment with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, anti-D immunoglobulin, or immunosuppressive drugs. "Refractory ITP" (not responsive to conventional treatment) may require splenectomy, the surgical removal of the spleen. Platelet transfusions may be used in severe bleeding together with a very low count. Sometimes the body may compensate by making abnormally large platelets.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a rare disorder of the blood-coagulation system, causing extensive microscopic clots to form in the small blood vessels throughout the body, resulting in low platelet counts. These small blood clots, called thrombi, can damage many organs including the kidneys, heart, brain, and nervous system. In the era before effective treatment with plasma exchange, the fatality rate was about 90%. With plasma exchange, this has dropped to 10% at six months. Because the disease generally results from antibodies that activate the immune system to inhibit the ADAMTS13 enzyme, agents that suppress the immune system, such as glucocorticoids, rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, or ciclosporin, may also be used if a relapse or recurrence follows plasma exchange. Platelets are not transfused unless the patient has a life-threatening bleed, since the transfused platelets would also quickly be consumed by thrombi formation, leading to a minimal increase in circulating platelets.

Most cases of TTP arise from autoantibody-mediated inhibition of the enzyme ADAMTS13, a metalloprotease responsible for cleaving large multimers of von Willebrand factor (vWF) into smaller units. The increase in circulating multimers of vWF increases platelet adhesion to areas of endothelial injury, particularly where arterioles and capillaries meet, which in turn results in the formation of small platelet clots called thrombi. As platelets are used up in the formation of thrombi, this then leads to a decrease in the number of overall circulating platelets, which may then cause life-threatening bleeds. The reason why the antibodies form is generally unknown for most patients, though it can be associated with some medications and autoimmune diseases such as HIV and Lupus, as well as pregnancy.

A rarer form of TTP, called Upshaw–Schulman syndrome, or "Inherited TTP," results from an autosomal recessive gene that leads to ADAMTS13 dysfunction from the time of birth, resulting in persisting large vWF multimers, which in turn results in the formation of thrombi (small platelet clots).

Red blood cells passing the microscopic clots are subjected to shear stress, which damages their membranes, leading to rupture of red blood cells within blood vessels, which in turn leads to anaemia and schistocyte formation. The presence of these blood clots in the small blood vessels reduces blood flow to organs resulting in cellular injury and end organ damage. Current therapy is based on support and plasmapheresis to reduce circulating antibodies against ADAMTS13 and replenish blood levels of the enzyme.

People may be diagnosed after prolonged and/or recurring bleeding episodes. Children and adults may also be diagnosed after profuse bleeding after a trauma or tooth extraction. Ultimately, a laboratory diagnosis is usually required. This would utilize platelet aggregation studies and flow cytometry.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a condition in which blood clots form throughout the body blocking small blood vessels. Symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, leg pain, problems speaking, or problems moving parts of the body. As clotting factors and platelets are used up, bleeding may occur. This may include blood in the urine, blood in the stool, or bleeding into the skin. Complications may include organ failure.

Relatively common causes include sepsis, surgery, major trauma, cancer, and complications of pregnancy. Less common causes include snake bites, frostbite, and burns. There are two main types acute (rapid onset) and chronic (slow onset). Diagnosis is typically based on blood tests. Findings may include low platelets, low fibrinogen, high INR, or high D-dimer.

Treatment is mainly directed towards the underlying condition. Other measures may include giving platelets, cryoprecipitate, or fresh frozen plasma. Evidence to support these treatments, however, is poor. Heparin may be useful in the chronic form. About 1% of people admitted to hospital are affected by the condition. In those with sepsis rates are between 20% and 50%. The risk of death among those affected varies from 20 to 50%.

High platelet levels do not necessarily signal any clinical problems, and are picked up on a routine full blood count. However, it is important that a full medical history be elicited to ensure that the increased platelet count is not due to a secondary process. Often, it occurs in tandem with an inflammatory disease, as the principal stimulants of platelet production (e.g. thrombopoietin) are elevated in these clinical states as part of the acute phase reaction.

High platelet counts can occur in patients with polycythemia vera (high red blood cell counts), and is an additional risk factor for complications.

A very small segment of patients report symptoms of erythromelalgia, a burning sensation and redness of the extremities that resolves with cooling and/or aspirin use.

Scientific literature sometimes excludes thrombocytosis from the scope of thrombophilia by definition, but practically, by the definition of thrombophilia as an increased predisposition to thrombosis, thrombocytosis (especially primary thrombocytosis) is a potential cause of thrombophilia. Conversely, secondary thrombocytosis very rarely causes thrombotic complications.

Individuals with congenital hypfibringenemia often lack any symptoms are detected by routine lab testing of fibrinogen or when tested for it because close relatives have symptomatic hypofibrinogenmeia. Indeed, studies indicate that, among family members with the identical congenital hypofibrinogenemia mutation, some never exhibit symptoms and those that are symptomatic develop symptoms only as adults.

Individuals with this disorder are usually less symptomatic than patients with other fibrinogen disorders because their fibrinogen levels are generally sufficient to prevent spontaneous bleeding. Those with particularly low blood fibrinogen levels (<0.5 gram/liter) may develop serious bleeding spontaneously and many with the disorder do so following trauma or surgery. Depending on their fibrinogen levels, women with the disorder may also bleed excessively during delivery and the postpartum period; in rare cases, they may have an increased risk of suffering miscarriages. Individuals with the disorder also suffer thrombotic events which may include blockage of large arteries in relatively young patients who have high levels of cardiovascular risk factors. The thrombi which form in these individuals are unstable, tend to embolize, and may therefore lead to thromboembolic events such as pulmonary embolism. Both bleeding and thrombotic events can occur at separate times or even concurrently in the same individual with the disorder.

Many cases of congenital dysfibrinogenemia are asymptomatic. Since manifestations of the disorder generally occur in early adulthood or middle-age, younger individuals with a gene mutation causing it may not have had time to develop symptoms while previously asymptomatic individuals of advanced age with such a mutation are unlikely to develop symptoms. Bleeding episodes in most cases of this disorder are mild and commonly involve easy bruising and menorrhagia. Less common manifestations of bleeding may be severe or even life-threatening; these include excessive bleeding after tooth extraction, surgery, vaginal birth, and miscarriage. Rarely, these individuals may suffer hemarthrosis or cerebral hemorrhage. In one study of 37 individuals >50 years old afflicted with this disorder, 19% had a history of thrombosis. Thrombotic complications occur in both arteries and veins and include transient ischemic attack, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, retinal artery thrombosis, peripheral artery thrombosis, and deep vein thrombosis. In one series of 33 individuals with a history of thrombosis due to congenital dysfibrinogenemia, five developed chronic pulmonary hypertension due to ongoing pulmonary embolism probably stemming form deep vein thrombosis. About 26% of individuals with the disorder suffer both bleeding and thrombosis complications.

Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is an abnormality of the platelets. It is an extremely rare coagulopathy (bleeding disorder due to a blood abnormality), in which the platelets contain defective or low levels of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (GpIIb/IIIa), which is a receptor for fibrinogen. As a result, no fibrinogen bridging of platelets to other platelets can occur, and the bleeding time is significantly prolonged.

Thrombocytosis (or thrombocythemia) is the presence of high platelet counts in the blood, and can be either primary (also termed essential and caused by a myeloproliferative disease) or reactive (also termed secondary). Although often symptomless (particularly when it is a secondary reaction), it can predispose to thrombosis in some patients. Thrombocytosis can be contrasted with thrombocytopenia, a loss of platelets in the blood.

In a healthy individual, a normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 and 450,000 per mm³ (or microlitre) (150–450 x 10/L). These limits, however, are determined by the 2.5th lower and upper percentile, and a deviation does not necessary imply any form of disease. Nevertheless, counts over 750,000 (and especially over a million) are considered serious enough to warrant investigation and intervention.

Purpura fulminans is an acute, often fatal, thrombotic disorder which manifests as blood spots, bruising and discolouration of the skin resulting from coagulation in small blood vessels within the skin and rapidly leads to skin necrosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Characteristic symptoms vary with severity. In general symptoms are internal or external bleeding episodes, which are called "bleeds". People with more severe haemophilia suffer more severe and more frequent bleeds, while people with mild haemophilia usually suffer more minor symptoms except after surgery or serious trauma. In cases of moderate haemophilia symptoms are variable which manifest along a spectrum between severe and mild forms.

In both haemophilia A and B, there is spontaneous bleeding but a normal bleeding time, normal prothrombin time, normal thrombin time, but prolonged partial thromboplastin time. Internal bleeding is common in people with severe haemophilia and some individuals with moderate haemophilia. The most characteristic type of internal bleed is a joint bleed where blood enters into the joint spaces. This is most common with severe haemophiliacs and can occur spontaneously (without evident trauma). If not treated promptly, joint bleeds can lead to permanent joint damage and disfigurement. Bleeding into soft tissues such as muscles and subcutaneous tissues is less severe but can lead to damage and requires treatment.

Children with mild to moderate haemophilia may not have any signs or symptoms at birth especially if they do not undergo circumcision. Their first symptoms are often frequent and large bruises and haematomas from frequent bumps and falls as they learn to walk. Swelling and bruising from bleeding in the joints, soft tissue, and muscles may also occur. Children with mild haemophilia may not have noticeable symptoms for many years. Often, the first sign in very mild haemophiliacs is heavy bleeding from a dental procedure, an accident, or surgery. Females who are carriers usually have enough clotting factors from their one normal gene to prevent serious bleeding problems, though some may present as mild haemophiliacs.

Early purpura fulminans lesions look similar to traumatic skin bleeds or purpuric rashes, such as immune thrombocytopenic purpura or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura; however, purpura fulminans will rapidly progress to necrosis whereas other purpuric rashes do not. In most cases, differential diagnoses may be distinguished from purpura fulminans by other clinical and laboratory findings.

The initial appearance of purpura fulminans lesions is of well-demarcated erythematous lesions which progress rapidly to develop irregular central areas of blue-black haemorrhagic necrosis. Advancing areas of necrosis are often surrounded by a thin border of erythema that fades into adjacent unaffected skin. Haemorrhage into the necrotic skin causes purpura fulminans lesions to become painful, dark and raised, sometimes with vesicle or blister (bulla) formation.

The distribution of purpura fulminans lesions may be different according to the underlying pathogenesis. Purpura fulminans in severe sepsis typically develops in the distal extremities and progresses proximally or appears as a generalised or diffuse rash affecting the whole body surface. In cases of severe inheritable protein C deficiency, purpura fulminans with disseminated intravascular coagulation manifests within a few hours or days after birth.

There are various symptoms that are presented and are typically associated to a specific site that they appear at. Hypoprothrombinemia is characterized by a poor blood clotting function of prothrombin. Some symptoms are presented as severe, while others are mild, meaning that blood clotting is slower than normal. Areas that are usually affected are muscles, joints, and the brain, however, these sites are more uncommon.

The most common symptoms include:

1. Easy bruising

2. Oral mucosal bleeding - Bleeding of the membrane mucus lining inside of the mouth.

3. Soft tissue bleeding.

4. Hemarthrosis - Bleeding in joint spaces.

5. Epistaxis - Acute hemorrhages from areas of the nasal cavity, nostrils, or nasopharynx.

6. Women with this deficiency experience menorrhagia: prolonged, abnormal heavy menstrual bleeding. This is typically a symptom of the disorder when severe blood loss occurs.

Other reported symptoms that are related to the condition:

1. Prolonged periods of bleeding due to surgery, injury, or post birth.

2. Melena - Associated with acute gastrointestinal bleeding, dark black, tarry feces.

3. Hematochezia - Lower gastrointestinal bleeding, passage of fresh, bright red blood through the anus secreted in or with stools. If associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, suggestive of a more life-threatening issue.

Type I: Severe hemorrhages are indicators of a more severe prothrombin deficiency that account for muscle hematomas, intracranial bleeding, postoperative bleeding, and umbilical cord hemorrhage, which may also occur depending on the severity, respectively.

Type II: Symptoms are usually more capricious, but can include a variety of the symptoms described previously. Less severe cases of the disorder typically do not involve spontaneous bleeding.

Bernard–Soulier syndrome often presents as a bleeding disorder with symptoms of:

The dysfibrinogenemias consist of three types of fibrinogen disorders in which a critical blood clotting factor, fibrinogen, circulates at normal levels but is dysfunctional. Congenital dysfibrinogenemia is an inherited disorder in which one of the parental genes produces an abnormal fibrinogen. This fibrinogen interferes with normal blood clotting and/or lyses of blood clots. The condition therefore may cause pathological bleeding and/or thrombosis. Acquired dysfibrinogenemia is a non-hereditary disorder in which fibrinogen is dysfunctional due to the presence of liver disease, autoimmune disease, a plasma cell dyscrasias, or certain cancers. It is associated primarily with pathological bleeding. Hereditary fibrinogen Aα-Chain amyloidosis is a sub-category of congenital dysfibrinogenemia in which the dysfunctional fibrinogen does not cause bleeding or thrombosis but rather gradually accumulates in, and disrupts the function of, the kidney.

Congenital dysfibrinogenmia is the commonest of these three disorders. Some 100 different genetic mutations occurring in more than 400 families have been found to cause it. All of these mutations as well as those causing hereditary fibrinogen Aα-Chain amyloidosis exhibit partial penetrance, i.e. only some family members with one of these mutant genes develop dysfibrinogenemia-related symptoms. While both of these congenital disorders as well as acquired dysfibrinogenemia are considered very rare, it is estimated that ~0.8% of individuals with venous thrombosis have either a congenital or acquired dysfibrinogenemia. Hence, the dysfibrinogenemia disorders may be highly under-diagnosed conditions due to isolated thrombotic events that are not appreciated as reflecting an underlying fibrinogen disorder.

Congenital dysfibrinogenemia is distinguished from a similar inherited disorder, congenital hypodysfibrinogenemia. Both disorders involve the circulation of dysfunctional fibrinogen but in congenital hypodysfibrinogenemia plasma fibrinogen levels are low while in congenital dysfibrinogenemia they are normal. Furthermore, the two disorders involve different gene mutations and inheritance patterns as well as somewhat different symptoms.