Diagnosis of petechiae
When a patient with petechiae comes to the doctor, the medical history plays an important role first. This means that the doctor will inquire about when the symptoms started, whether new medication has been taken recently and what previous illnesses exist. Then follows the physical examination.
The doctor will look to see where petechiae are and whether they are in fact petechiae. This can be checked, for example, by making sure that petechiae persist even when pressure is applied to the spot and do not fade. A blood test will then usually be performed.
This can provide information about whether there is a lack of platelets. If this is the case, further diagnostics must be performed. In addition, certain antibodies can be detected in the blood, which can give an indication of whether an inflammation of the small vessels (vasculitis) is present.
The diagnosis of petechiae is often difficult and not always easy. Often no diagnosis is made and the petechiae disappear again after some time. Nevertheless, if petechiae are present, an attempt should first be made to clarify the situation, as petechiae can hide both harmless causes and serious clinical pictures.
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