Extreme thrombocytosis - An unusual presentation of inflammatory bowel disease

Thrombocytosis or a high platelet count (a count greater than 400 x 10(9)/L) is a common observation especially with the increased ordering of routine complete blood counts. When found, it may create a diagnostic challenge as transient elevations in platelet counts can occur for a number of reasons such as inflammation or infection, and these usually resolve spontaneously; but an elevated platelet count may be the only indication of an underlying serious disease to which no other clinical findings pertain. The report details a case of extreme thrombocytosis which masked an underlying diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease.