Clinico-Hematological Patterns of Patients Presenting With Erythrocytosis

Abstract

Objective: To assess the frequency of erythrocytosis and compare the clinical features and haematological parameters in patients presenting with primary and secondary erythrocytosis in the Pakistani population. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from May 2020 to May 2021. Methodology: Eighty-three subjects presenting with marked erythrocytosis (Hb-17 g/dl or more, HCT – 50% or more) were included in the study, while those admitted with conditions leading to spurious polycythaemia or patients on diuretics were excluded. Polycythaemia vera was diagnosed as per revised WHO criteria 2016. Results: Only 23 subjects (27.71%) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for Polycythaemia vera, while 60 subjects (72.29%) had secondary erythrocytosis. Significant differences were observed in haematological patterns between Polycythaemia vera and Secondary erythrocytosis patients. Of the 23 Polycythaemia vera subjects, 20(86.9%) were males and only 3(13.1%) were females, whereas 35(58.3%) out of 60 subjects with secondary erythrocytosis were males and 25(41.6%) were females (p=0.01). Males showed a higher frequency of Polycythaemia vera and, hence, of Janus Kinase2 positivity than females (Odds ratio=0.23, p=0.02). Conclusion: Polycythemia vera is less common than secondary erythrocytosis in the local population. Males showed a higher frequency of Polycythemia vera and, hence, of Janus Kinase2 positivity than females.

Keywords

• Bone marrow
• Erythrocytosis
• JAK2 Exon 12 mutations
• Polycythaemia vera
• Polycythemia
• Janus kinase 2