Useful For

• In the evaluation of thrombocytopenia, quantification of immature platelets may be used as an index of bone marrow thrombopoietic activity, analogous to the red cell reticulocyte count in the evaluation of anemia. 
• This test may be useful in the differential diagnosis of thrombocytopenia.  In general, an increased IPF (% and #) may be supportive of peripheral sequestration/utilization such as that seen in ITP or TTP and other conditions in which platelet production is increased; a normal IPF in the face of thrombocytopenia may indicate a production problem such as that seen in marrow failure syndromes and myelodysplasia. 
• This test is not intended to be diagnostic of any condition but merely serves to provide additional information that mat be useful.