what is delta spd

HPS

What Do Platelets Do?

Platelets are tiny, disc-shaped cells that are found in one's blood. Platelets are critical to the early part of the clotting process, as they form a temporary plug to stop bleeding. Platelets attach themselves to a damaged blood vessel, clump together to form a plug, and release chemicals (from dense granules) to call other platelets to the damaged blood vessel.

The diagrams at the right show a normal platelet (top) and a platelet typical of someone with Delta SPD (bottom).

The dark spots inside the disc (the platelet) are dense granules. People usually have an average of 4 to 6 dense granules per platelet. In people with Delta SPD, that number is lower, perhaps around two or fewer. The deficiency affects the platelets' ability to perform its duties in the clotting process.