Acute leukemia in polycythemia vera
Tiziano Barbui
Department of Hematology and Oncology ,Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo, Italy
The clinical course of Polycythemia Vera (PV) is characterized by significant thrombohemorrhagic complications and variable risk for disease transformation into myeloid metaplasia with myelofibrosis (MMM) or acute leukaemia (AL). There is an ongoing debate whether the evolution to AL is part of the natural history of the disease or may be related to the use of cytoreductive agents given to control myeloproliferation. It is very likely a combination of intrinsic factors, bound to PV itself, and extrinisic factors, the drugs, may exert a role.
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