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Absolute polycythaemia "Absolute erythrocytosis" is where your body produces too many red blood cells. There are 2 main types: primary erythrocytosis – there's a problem in the cells produced by the bone marrow that become red blood cells; the most common type is known as polycythaemia vera
May 10, 2024 · Summary. Polycythaemia vera (PV) is generally a disease of middle and older age. Carries increased risks of thrombosis, haemorrhage, progression to myelofibrosis, and transformation to acute leukaemia. Life expectancy is reported to be modestly reduced compared with that of the general population. Leading causes of death are cardiovascular ...
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Many people with polycythemia vera don't have noticeable signs or symptoms. Some people might develop vague symptoms such as headache, dizziness, fatigue and blurred vision.
More-specific symptoms of polycythemia vera include:
•Itchiness, especially after a warm bath or shower
•Numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness in your hands, feet, arms or legs
•A feeling of fullness soon after eating and bloating or pain in your left upper abdomen due to an enlarged spleen
•Unusual bleeding, such as a nosebleed or bleeding gums
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have signs or symptoms of polycythemia vera.
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Polycythemia vera occurs when a mutation in a gene causes a problem with blood cell production. Normally, your body regulates the number of each of the three types of blood cells you have — red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. But in polycythemia vera, your bone marrow makes too many of some of these blood cells.
The cause of the gene mutation in polycythemia vera is unknown, but it's generally not inherited from your parents.
Polycythemia vera can occur at any age, but it's more common in adults between 50 and 75. Men are more likely to get polycythemia vera, but women tend to get the disease at younger ages.
Possible complications of polycythemia vera include:
•Blood clots. Increased blood thickness and decreased blood flow, as well as abnormalities in your platelets, raise your risk of blood clots. Blood clots can cause a stroke, a heart attack, or a blockage in an artery in your lungs or a vein deep within a leg muscle or in the abdomen.
•Enlarged spleen. Your spleen helps your body fight infection and filter unwanted material, such as old or damaged blood cells. The increased number of blood cells caused by polycythemia vera makes your spleen work harder than normal, which causes it to enlarge.
•Problems due to high levels of red blood cells. Too many red blood cells can lead to a number of other complications, including open sores on the inside lining of your stomach, upper small intestine or esophagus (peptic ulcers) and inflammation in your joints (gout).
•Other blood disorders. In rare cases, polycythemia vera can lead to other blood diseases, including a progressive disorder in which bone marrow is replaced with scar tissue, a condition in which stem cells don't mature or function properly, or cancer of the blood and bone marrow (acute leukemia).
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•Mayo Clinic Q and A: Blood disorder causes body to make too many red blood cells
May 22, 2021 · Polycythaemia vera is a myeloproliferative disorder characterised by the excess production of erythrocytes. In over 98% of cases, it is caused by a genetic mutation in the JAK2 gene. 1. Polycythaemia vera is a rare condition with an incidence of 2 per 100,000 and a prevalence of 50 per 100,000. It tends to present in patients aged 60 – 70 ...
Apr 25, 2022 · Polycythemia vera (PV) is a blood disorder that causes your body to produce too many red blood cells. Too many red blood cells can make your blood thick and sluggish and increase your risk of blood clots and complications such as heart attack and stroke. It can also cause vague but irritating symptoms, such as skin itchiness, ringing in your ...
Apr 24, 2023 · Polycythemia vera (PV) is a myeloproliferative neoplastic disorder involving uncontrolled red blood cell production resulting in elevated red blood cell (RBC) mass. There is often a concurrent stimulation of myeloid and megakaryocytic lineages, leading to increased white blood cell and platelet production. The current understanding of pathophysiology involves increased sensitivity to growth ...
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Jun 2, 2022 · Polycythemia is a blood disease characterized by overproduction of red blood cells. There are two types, primary and secondary. Primary polycythemia, or polycythemia vera, is typically caused by an acquired JAK2 mutation. Secondary polycythemia is polycythemia developing secondarily to another condition that causes increased erythropoietin ...
