Predicting Hemorrhage and Thrombosis in Patients with Essential Thrombocythemia

Elevated white blood cell count is associated with hemorrhage and thrombosis; elevated platelet count is associated with hemorrhage but not thrombosis.

Although essential thrombocythemia (ET) is defined by an elevated platelet count, the relationship between platelet count, white blood cell (WBC) count, and thrombosis and bleeding in ET is still being examined.

In an earlier report, the main risk factors for arterial thrombosis were identified as age >60, prior thrombosis, and an elevated WBC count, but not an elevated platelet count (JW Oncol Hematol May 3 2011). The investigators have now formulated a prognostic model based on those risk factors. By assigning 867 ET patients two points for age 60 or older, one point for prior thrombosis, and one point for WBC ≥11,000/µL, they found that low-risk patients (score, 0) had a median survival not reached (NR), intermediate-risk patients (score,…

Reviewing Author

David Green, MD, PhD

Disclosures

EquityNovartis

David Green, MD, PhD

Disclosures

EquityNovartis