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Polycythemia vera - Symptom

Alternative Names

Primary polycythemia; Polycythemia rubra vera; Myeloproliferative disorder; Erythremia; Splenomegalic polycythemia; Vaquez's disease; Osler's disease; Polycythemia with chronic cyanosis - Myelopathic polycythemia; Erythrocytosis megalosplenica; Cryptogenic polycythemia

Symptoms:

Breathing difficulty when lying down
Dizziness
Fullness in the left upper abdomen
Headache
Itchiness, especially after a warm bath
Red coloring, especially of the face
Shortness of breath
Symptoms of phlebitis

Note: Symptoms are due to increased blood thickness and clotting.

Other symptoms that may occur with this disease:

Signs and tests:

The health care provider will perform a physical exam. Tests that may be done include:

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

Reviewed last on: 3/2/2009
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Tefferi A. Polycythemias. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 172.

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