Polycythaemia vera
What is Polycythaemia vera?
This may however also involve an increase in white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets (thrombocytes). The increased production of blood cells raises the level of solid components in the blood, so making it more viscous. As erythrocytes make up the majority of the different blood cells, accounting for 99% of the total volume of blood cells, they have the greatest impact on the flow properties of blood.
Cause
The cause of polycythemia vera is still unknown. It is almost always an acquired disease, but can in rare cases also be inborn. An increased production of red blood cells (erythrocytes) is characteristic for the disease.
More details on the disease
Symptoms
Not every patient has symptoms in the early stage of the disease. They can vary between individuals, including in terms of their severity, and often change over the course of the disease.
Possible complications of PV
The most serious symptom of PV involves vascular occlusions caused by blood clots and their consequences, which are known as thromboembolic events.
Diagnosis
Clear indicators for PV appear in the blood count and clinical investigation (symptoms, physical examination of patient).
Therapy
As its progression varies between patients, it is important to assess the situation of each person individually.
Essential Thrombocythaemia
Essential thrombocythaemia (ET) is a disease of the bone marrow, characterised by a pronounced increase of the number of platelets (thrombocytes) in the blood.
Chronic myeloid leukaemia
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a type of blood cancer, which belongs to the group of myeloproliferative neoplasms. It is characterised by unregulated growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow leading to an increased number of certain white blood cells in the blood.