Polycythaemia

Question 1

Polycythaemia may be primary or secondary. What is a cause of primary polcythaemia?

Answer 1

Polycythaemia rubra vera

Question 2

What are some secondary causes of polycythaemia?

Answer 2

• COPD
• Altitude
• Obstructive sleep apnoea
• Excessive erythropoietin: cerebellar haemangioma, hypernephroma, hepatoma, uterine fibroids (blood loss from menhorrhagia - rarely a problem)

Question 3

Before you diagnose polycythaemia, what are some relative causes you should exclude?

Answer 3

Dehydration

Stress - Gaisbock syndrome

Question 4

How do you differentiate between primary and secondary polycythaemia?

Answer 4

Red Cell Mass is raised in primary polycythaemia.