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Essential thrombocythemia

Other Names for this Disease
  • Essential thrombocytosis
  • Hemorrhagic thrombocythemia
  • Idiopathic thrombocythemia
  • Primary thrombocythemia
More Names
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Overview


Essential thrombocythemia belongs to a group of conditions called myeloproliferative disorders. Myeloproliferative disorders cause platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells to grow abnormally in the bone marrow (the soft tissue inside the hollow part of bones that helps form blood cells). In essential thrombocythemia, the body produces too many platelet cells. The signs and symptoms vary from person to person, with up to two-thirds of patients not having any symptoms when the platelet cell count first increases. Signs and symptoms may include significant increased production of megakaryocyte (a cell in the bone marrow that is responsible for making platelets), enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly), and bleeding and/or clotting episodes.[1][2]

References

  1. Primary thrombocythemia. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000543.htm. Accessed June 30, 2011.
  2. Essential Thrombocythemia. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/myeloproliferative/Patient/page5. Accessed June 30, 2011.
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General Information

  • The CMPD Education Foundation provides online information on myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). Click on the link to view the resource.
  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Essential thrombocythemia. Click on the link to go to GHR and review the information.
  • MedlinePlus, a Web site designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, provides more information about this topic. Click on the link to view this information.
  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. Click on the link to view this information. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition. Click on the link to view the information.
  • The National Cancer Institute provides the most current information on cancer for patients, health professionals, and the general public.  Click on the link to view information on this topic. 
  • The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) provides leadership for a national program in diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lung, and blood; blood resources; and sleep disorders. Since October 1997, the NHLBI has also had administrative responsibility for the NIH Woman's Health Initiative. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is a federation of more than 130 nonprofit voluntary health organizations serving people with rare disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.  Access to this database is free of charge.  Click on the link to read information on this topic.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Essential thrombocythemia. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
  • The The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database contains genetics resources that discuss Essential thrombocythemia. Click on the link to go to OMIM and review these resources.