Polycythemia Vera Health Article

BOOKS

Fruchtman, Steven M. "Polycythemia Vera." In Conn's Current Therapy, 1996, ed. Robert E. Rakel. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1996.

"Hematology and Oncology: Polycythemia Vera (PV)." In The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. 16th ed. Ed. Robert Berkow. Rahway, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories, 1992.

Linker, Charles A. "Blood." In Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, 1996. 35th ed. Ed. Stephen McPhee, et al. Stamford: Appleton & Lange, 1995.

Magalini, Sergio I., et al. Dictionary of Medical Syndromes. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1990.

Physicians'Guide to Rare Diseases. Ed. Jess G. Thoene. Montvale, NJ: Dowden Publishing Co., Inc., 1995.

"Polycythemia Vera." In Professional Guide to Diseases,ed. Stanley Loeb, et al. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corporation, 1991.

Silver, Richard T. "Polycythemia Vera and Other Polycythemia Syndromes." In Current Diagnosis. Vol. 9. Ed. Rex B. Conn, et al. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1997.

ORGANIZATIONS

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105. (301) 251-1222. <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov>.

National Organization for Rare Disorders. P.O. Box 8923, New Fairfield, CT 06812-8923. (800) 999-6673. <http://www.rarediseases.org>.

Rebecca J. Frey

KEY TERMS

Anagrelide—An orphan drug that is approved for treating PV patients on an investigational basis. Anagrelide works by controlling the level of platelets in the blood.

Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase (LAP) test—A blood test that measures the level of enzyme activity in a type of white blood cell called neutrophils.

Myeloproliferative disorder—A disorder in which the bone marrow produces too many cells too rapidly.

Myelosuppressive therapy—Any form of treatment that is aimed at slowing down the rate of blood cell production.

Orphan drug—A drug that is known to be useful in treatment but lacks sufficient funding for further research and development.

Philadelphia chromosome—An abnormal chromosome that is found in patients with a chronic form of leukemia but not in PV patients.

Phlebotomy—Drawing blood from a patient's vein as part of diagnosis or therapy. Phlebotomy is sometimes called venesection. It is an important part of the treatment of PV.

Pruritus—An itching sensation or feeling. In PV the itching is not confined to a specific part of the body and is usually worse after a warm bath or shower.

Spent phase—A late development in PV leading to failure of the bone marrow and severe anemia.

Splenomegaly—Abnormal enlargement of the spleen. Splenomegaly is a major diagnostic criterion of PV.