Thrombocytopenia is a condition in which blood has an abnormally low number of platelets, which are blood cells responsible for helping blood to clot. Platelets are made in the bone marrow and travel through blood vessels and clot to stop any bleeding that may happen if a blood vessel is damaged. Most thrombocytopenia causes no major problems, but severe thrombocytopenia may result in excessive bleeding. Diagnosis of thrombocytopenia is made easily by a lab test called a complete blood count.
Attribution: Straight Talk Foundation