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Policitemia vera - Overview

Nombres alternativos

Policitemia primaria; Policitemia rubra vera; Trastorno mieloproliferativo; Eritremia; Policitemia esplenomegálica; Enfermedad de Vaquez; Enfermedad de Osler; Policitemia con cianosis crónica: policitemia mielopática; Eritrocitosis megaloesplénica; Policitemia criptógena

Definición:

Es una enfermedad de la médula ósea que lleva a un incremento anormal en el número de células sanguíneas (principalmente glóbulos rojos).

Causas:

La policitemia vera es un trastorno de la médula ósea que ocasiona principalmente demasiada producción de glóbulos rojos, aunque las cantidades de glóbulos blancos y de plaquetas también se incrementan.

Es una rara enfermedad que se presenta con mayor frecuencia en hombres que en mujeres y es poco común en pacientes menores de 40 años. Por lo regular está asociada con una mutación en un gen llamado JAK2V617F, cuya causa se desconoce.

  • Reviewed last on: 2/28/2011
  • 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.

Referencias

Hoffman R, Xu M, Finazzi G, Barbui T. The polycythemias. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ Jr., Shattil SJ, et al, eds. Hoffman Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008:chap 68.

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

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