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Blood Diseases

Blood Disorders

Blood Disorders | Anemias | Bleeding Disorders | Hemochromatosis | Hodgkin's Disease | Leukemias | Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma | Thrombocythemia

Thrombocythemia

What are myeloproliferative disorders?

Myeloproliferative disorders are diseases in which the bone marrow produces too many of one of the three types of blood cells:

  • red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all the tissues in the body

  • white blood cells, which fight infection

  • platelets, which makes blood clot

What is thrombocythemia?

Thrombocythemia is a myeloproliferative blood disorder. It is characterized by the production of too many platelets in the bone marrow. Too many platelets make normal clotting of blood difficult.

What causes thrombocythemia?

There is no known cause for thrombocythemia.

What are the symptoms of thrombocythemia?

The following are the most common symptoms for thrombocythemia, however, each individual may experience symptoms differently:

The symptoms of thrombocythemia may resemble other blood disorders or medical problems. Consult your physician for a diagnosis.

How is thrombocythemia diagnosed?

In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination, diagnostic procedures for thrombocythemia may include additional blood tests to measure blood counts and elevated platelet levels. Bone-marrow biopsy may also be part of the diagnostic protocol.

Treatment for thrombocythemia:

Specific treatment for thrombocythemia will be determined by your physician(s) based on:

Treatment may include:


This page was last updated on: January 29, 2008.

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