Platelet concentrates were stored for one, two or three days at 4°C (unagitated) or room temperature (unagitated and linearly agitated). The morphology of platelets in platelet concentrates, directly after twice washing at room temperature and after 60 min incubation of the washed platelets at 37°C was investigated by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy.Platelets in the freshly prepared concentrates are slightly activated, i.e. show some pseudopod formation. At 4°C platelets

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... ly loose their discoid shape. After three days their surface membrane shows extensive folding, they are slightly vacuolated and have lost most of their granules. Incubation of these cold-stored platelets at 37°C does not induce reversal to the discoid shape.Room temperature storage results in reversal of the slight initial platelet activation. After three days unagitated platelets are slightly more vacuolated than platelets stored with agitation. Room temperature storage usually results in remarkably well preserved, discoid platelets. Occasionally however, agitated platelet concentrates contain a high proportion of odd shaped cells. As platelets stored at 4°C did not became discoid after incubation at 37°, the altered membrane structure could provide an explanation for their short survival upon transfusion. Our results also provide a morphological correlation with the slightly better recovery and survival of platelets stored agitated vs.- non-agitated platelets at room temperature.