Polycythemia vera

Polycythemia vera
Other namesPolycythaemia vera (PV, PCV), erythremia, primary polycythemia, Vaquez disease, Osler-Vaquez disease, polycythemia rubra vera
Blood smear from a patient with polycythemia vera
SpecialtyOncology, hematology

In oncology, polycythemia vera (PV) is an uncommon myeloproliferative neoplasm in which the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells. Approximately 98% of PV patients have a JAK2 gene mutation in their blood-forming cells (compared with 0.1-0.2% of the general population).

Most of the health concerns associated with PV, such as thrombosis, are caused by the blood being thicker as a result of the increased red blood cells.

PV may be symptomatic or asymptomatic. Possible symptoms include itching (pruritus), particularly after exposure to warm water, and severe burning pain in the hands or feet that is usually accompanied by a reddish or bluish coloration of the skin.

Treatment consists primarily of blood withdrawals (phlebotomy) and oral meds.

PV is more common in the elderly.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.