Can polycythemia go into remission?

A 20-year-old woman presented with polycythemia vera and was treated with phlebotomy alone for eleven years, following which all clinical manifestations of the disease disappeared. The clinical remission with normal physical findings and normal peripheral blood counts has persisted for a further 11 years.

How fast does polycythemia vera progress?

One study shows that anywhere from 2\% to 14\% of the time, polycythemia vera changes into AML within 10 years. In this disease, stem cells in your bone marrow turn into unhealthy blood cells, including white blood cells called myeloblasts. These cells grow out of control, crowding out healthy blood cells.

Does polycythemia cause claudication?

Signs and symptoms, including headache, dizziness, claudication, thrombosis, are a consequence of increased blood viscosity.

How often should phlebotomy be done with polycythemia?

People with a new PV diagnosis typically undergo phlebotomy once a week until their red blood cell level becomes closer to normal. After that, they may have phlebotomy every three months to keep levels normal.

How does phlebotomy help correct polycythemia vera?

The most common treatment for polychythemia vera is having frequent blood withdrawals, using a needle in a vein (phlebotomy). It’s the same procedure used for donating blood. This decreases your blood volume and reduces the number of excess blood cells.

What is difference between polycythemia and polycythemia vera?

Polycythemia, also called erythrocytosis, refers to an increase in red blood cell mass, noted on laboratory evaluation as increased hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. Polycythemia vera is a subtype of polycythemia and is associated with the overproduction of all 3 cell lines.

Why is there splenomegaly in polycythemia vera?

In PV, the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. As a result of the increased number of blood cells caused by PV, your spleen works harder than normal. This may cause the spleen to get bigger—a condition called splenomegaly (splee-nuh-MEG-uh-lee).

Will I feel better after phlebotomy?

What To Expect After Treatment. Some people feel tired or dizzy after phlebotomy. You might get relief from these symptoms by resting for the next 24 hours and drinking plenty of fluids. You may want to have a family member or friend take you home after the procedure.