The role of platelet distribution width in the diagnosis of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke

Aim: Current efforts to find diagnoses using simple and widely used indices of platelet activation have focused on the platelet activation caused by morphological changes, including both pseudopodia formation and spherical shape. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of PDW in differentiating ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.Material and Methods: The study included a total of 333 patients, of which 269 had ischemic stroke and 64 had hemorrhagic stroke. Demographic data of the patients such as gender and age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the modified Rankin score (mRs) were recorded. Complete blood count parameters were also recorded and compared between the patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.Results: The mean age of the patients was found to be 72.3 +/- 12.71 years in the ischemic stroke group and 69.27 +/- 14.39 years in the hemorrhagic group. The median neutrophil count was statistically significantly higher in the hemorrhagic stroke group (p=0.041). The median level of albumin was statistically significantly higher in the patients with hemorrhagic stroke (p=0.010). The median PDW value was determined to be statistically significantly higher at 14.9 (11.9-17.8) in the ischemic stroke group compared to 12.85 (11.33-17.03) in the hemorrhagic stroke group (p=0.009).Discussion: As the PDW level was statistically significantly lower in patients with hemorrhagic stroke than in patients with ischemic stroke, it may be of value in distinguishing these two forms of stroke. However, further comprehensive, multi-center studies are needed to better understand the role of PDW in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.