Haematology Watch

POLYCYTHAEMIA


PSEUDO or RELATIVE (i.e. due to loss of plasma):

     Diarrhoea

     Diuretics

     Burns

TRUE:

     With low erythropoietin:

          Polycythaemia vera

          Primary familial polycythaemia

     With normal or high erythropoietin:

       -With low oxygen saturation:

                 High altitude of residence

                 Cigarette smoking

                 Pulmonary disease

                 Cyanotic congenital heart disease

                 High affinity haemoglobin

                 Renal hypoxia

                 Low 2,3-DPG

                 Methaemoglobin

        -With normal oxygen saturation:

                Renal tumours/cysts

                Androgens

                Erythropoietin doping

                Hepatocellular carcinoma

                Cerebellar haemangioma

                Pheochromocytoma

                Conn syndrome

                Cushing syndrome

                Barter syndrome