The driving force behind development of in vitro methods for platelet antibodies is identification of plasma factors causing platelet destruction. Early methods relied on measurement of platelet activation. Current methods are more specific and use a purified antibody against immunoglobulin or complement, which is usually labeled with 125I or tagged with an enzyme or fluorescein. Comparisons of quantitation of platelet-associated IgG show wide variability between different methods. The disparate results can be related both to differences in binding of secondary antibodies to immunoglobulin in solution compared to immunoglobulins attached to platelets and to the improper assumption that the binding ratio between the secondary detecting and primary antiplatelet antibody is one. Most assays can 1) identify neonatal isoimmune thrombocytopenia and posttransfusion purpura, 2) help to differentiate between immune and nonimmune thrombocytopenias, 3) help to sort out the offending drug when drug-induced thrombocytopenia is suspected, and 4) identify platelet alloantibodies and potential platelet donors via a cross match assay for refractory patients. However, the advantages of quantitative assays over qualitative methods with respect to predictions of patients clinical course and response to different treatments remain to be investigated.