Premium
Quantitative Studies of Splenic Erythropoiesis in Polycythaemia Vera and Myelofibrosis
Author(s) -
PETTIT J. E.,
LEWIS S. M.,
WILLIAMS E. D.,
GRAFTON C. A.,
BOWRING C. S.,
GLASS H. I.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1976.tb03593.x
Subject(s) - polycythaemia , myelofibrosis , erythropoiesis , ineffective erythropoiesis , medicine , splenectomy , polycythemia vera , spleen , bone marrow , myeloproliferative disorders , gastroenterology , pathology , anemia
S ummary . A quantitative scanning method employing cyclotron‐produced 52 Fe has been developed to assess splenic erythropoiesis in patients with myeloproliferative disorders. In 12 patients with myelofibrosis splenic uptake of 52 Fe was from 5.0% to 48% of the injected dose. Although a single patient with classical polycythaemia vera had a minor uptake of 2.8% six other patients with this diagnosis showed no concentration of isotope in the splenic area. The fraction of 52 Fe in the spleen of four patients with ‘transitional’myeloproliferative disorders characterized by a high red cell mass, hypercellular bone marrow and a leucoerythroblastic blood film varied from 5% to 41%. No clear relationship was noted between the degree of splenic erythropoiesis as defined by this technique and the level of haemoglobin, the degree of splenomegaly, the effectiveness of erythropoiesis or traditional 59 Fe surface counting. If splenectomy is considered in patients with myelofibrosis splenic 52 Fe quantitation will provide more precise data on the contribution of splenic erythropoiesis than 59 Fe surface counting alone.