Our knowledge of the genetic basis of these disorders began in 2005, when a unique base substitution in JAK2, the gene encoding Janus kinase 2,was found inpatientswith polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis. The background of our investigations was the previous finding that copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 9p (9pLOH) is the most common chromosom...

Factors that influence the choice of anagrelide, hydroxyurea, or interferon-alfa (IFN-alpha) for treatment of essential thrombocythemia include efficacy, toxicity, and cost. Anagrelide has the US Food and Drug Administration's approval to be used for treating patients with thrombocythemia secondary to chronic myeloproliferative disorders. In contrast, the use of IFN-alpha and hydroxyurea are co...

Haematologica vol. 85(2):February 2000 mia. Cancer Genet Cytogenet 1981; 4:138-42. 4. Knapp RH, Dewald GW, Pierre RV. Cytogenetic studies in 174 consecutive patients with preleukemic or myelodysplastic syndromes. Mayo Clin Proc 1985; 60: 507-16. 5. Mertens F, Johansson B, Heim S, Kristofferson U, Mitelman F. Karyotypic patterns in chronic myeloproliferative disorders: report on 74 cases and rev...

BACKGROUND Hereditary thrombocythemia is a rare disease characterized by increased megakaryopoiesis and overproduction of platelets. Germ line mutations have been identified in the genes for thrombopoietin (THPO) and its receptor, MPL. A clustering of familial cases with the MPL-G1073A mutation that results in a serine to asparagine substitution (S505N) has been recently reported in Italy. Here...

Essential thrombocythemia is one of the myeloproliferative neoplasms with a plethora of thrombohemorrhagic complications.Hydroxyurea has been proven to be an effective treatment for this condition. However, it is not without side effects. We herein report 3 patients with essential thrombocythemia treated with hydroxyurea who developed refractory leg ulcers, and we outline their successful manag...

We report a case of essential thrombocythemia, the only clinical manifestation of which consisted of neurologic symptoms, including anomic aphasia, tactile and painful hypesthesia in the right hand, headache, and Gerstmann syndrome, with a relatively benign and slowly progressive clinical course. Neuroradiologic examination disclosed a large ischemic area in the left temporoparietal region. Cer...

A 51-year-old male patient with 3+ aortic insufficiency, hepatitis C, osteomyelitis right foot, and a preoperative platelet count 1.3 million/mm3 required cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Essential thrombocythemia is a relatively unknown entity with the utilization of CPB. After consulting with the surgeon, an anesthesiologist and another perfusionist, a team approach was used to discuss treatment...