Polycythemia vera (patient information): Difference between revisions

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==When to seek urgent medical care?==
==When to seek urgent medical care?==
==Diagnosis==
==Diagnosis==
The health care provider will perform a physical exam. You may also have the following tests:
Bone marrow biopsy
Complete blood count with differential
Comprehensive metabolic panel
Erythropoietin level
Genetic test for the JAK2V617F mutation
Oxygen saturation of the blood
Red blood cell mass
Vitamin B12 level
This disease may also affect the results of the following tests:
ESR
Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase
Platelet aggregation test
Serum uric acid


==Treatment options==
==Treatment options==

Revision as of 18:29, 1 December 2015

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Polycythemia vera

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

Who is at highest risk?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Prevention

Where to find medical care for Polycythemia vera?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Prevention

Polycythemia vera On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

Images of Polycythemia vera

Videos on Polycythemia vera

FDA on Polycythemia vera

CDC on Polycythemia vera

Polycythemia vera in the news

Blogs on Polycythemia vera

Directions to Hospitals Treating Polycythemia vera

Risk calculators and risk factors for Polycythemia vera

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

What are the symptoms of Polycythemia vera?

Symptoms may include any of the following:

Trouble breathing when lying down Dizziness Excess bleeding Full feeling in the left upper abdomen (due to enlarged spleen) Headache Itchiness, especially after a warm bath Red skin coloring, especially of the face Shortness of breath Symptoms of blood clots in veins near the skin surface (phlebitis)

Other symptoms that may occur with this disease:

Bluish skin color Fatigue Red skin spots Vision problems

What causes Polycythemia vera?

Polycythemia vera is a disorder of the bone marrow. It mainly causes too many red blood cells to be produced. The numbers of white blood cells and platelets may also be higher than normal.

This is a rare disorder that occurs more often in men than in women. It is not usually seen in people under age 40. The problem is often linked to a gene defect called JAK2V617F. The cause of this gene defect is unknown.

Who is at highest risk?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

The health care provider will perform a physical exam. You may also have the following tests:

Bone marrow biopsy Complete blood count with differential Comprehensive metabolic panel Erythropoietin level Genetic test for the JAK2V617F mutation Oxygen saturation of the blood Red blood cell mass Vitamin B12 level

This disease may also affect the results of the following tests:

ESR Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase Platelet aggregation test Serum uric acid

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Polycythemia vera?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Polycythemia vera

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Possible complications

Sources