Objectives:

Thrombocytopenia, a complication of Chronic Liver Disease (CLD), is considered to be a marker of advanced disease and an independent predictor of mortality. But this is disputable, and hence is this study

1. 1.

   To find out the prevalence of thrombocytopenia in CLD;

2. 2.

   To find out association with severity of Liver disease and Thrombocytopenia.

Materials and Methods:

This was a descriptive study analyzing CLD patients diagnosed by clinical, biochemical, serological, and radiological evaluation in our institution between March 2019 and December 2020.

Results:

There were 48 patients; M: F43:5; mean age 51.7±12.4 years; Thrombocytopenia: Mild (149999 – 75000/mm³) in 45.8%, moderate (74999 – 50000/mm³) in 12.5% and severe (< 49999/mm³) in 8.3%. There was no association of thrombocytopenia with severity indices like Child-Pugh Class (C. P. C.) and Model for End-stage Liver Disease – Sodium (MELD-Na) Score.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of thrombocytopenia in CLD is 66.6% in this study. Thrombocytopenia is not associated with the severity of the disease. This necessitates larger studies and analyzing the factors other than a number of platelets. This includes

1. 1.

   Functional status of platelets (thrombocythemia)

2. 2.

   In a stable CLD, homeostasis and coagulation pathways achieve a delicate “rebalance state” (new normal) which may be disturbed even by trivial insult.

3. 3.

   Platelets also secrete platelet-derived growth factors, transforming growth factor β, hepatocyte growth factor, which can influence liver fibrosis and regeneration.