Acquired thrombocytopenia is another cause of low platelet levels. One key difference is that a genetic mutation is unlikely to be the cause of acquired thrombocytopenia.
A person with acquired thrombocytopenia may find that platelet levels drop due to the following reasons:
• side effects of certain medications
• some types of cancer, including leukemia and lymphoma
• an infection that temporarily reduces a person’s platelet levels
• chemotherapy or radiation treatments
• exposure to some toxic chemicals that can reduce the body’s ability to make platelets