Key Symptoms Of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Bruising

Easy bruising can occur in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura patients. A bruise is an injury where the skin becomes discolored due to an accumulation of damaged blood cells that congregates near the surface of an individual's skin. A bruise is usually blue, black, purple, brown, or yellow. Bruises in healthy individuals occur when they bump into something. The impact causes blood vessels to rupture or become injured, resulting in the accumulation of blood underneath the skin. 

Bruises in healthy individuals are not problematic other than being mildly tender for several days because the body can mediate the blood vessel damage and bleeding with specific components in the blood. Platelets are responsible for sticking together to form a blood clot over an injury to stop the injured vessel from bleeding. Individuals who have thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, however, have low platelets in, which causes bruising to be more severe and more frequent upon minimal or no impact.