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Essential thrombocythemia is a rare disorder where the body produces too many platelets, which are blood cells that stick together to form clots. It may be caused by several acquired gene mutations, which are not inherited.
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
Essential thrombocythemia is a chronic condition with no cure. Mild forms of the disease may not need treatment. For those with severe symptoms, medications to lower platelet count and/or blood thinners may be needed.
Reviewed By:
Unnati Patel, MD, MSc (Family Medicine)
Dr.Patel serves as Center Medical Director and a Primary Care Physician at Oak Street Health in Arizona. She graduated from the Zhejiang University School of Medicine prior to working in clinical research focused on preventive medicine at the University of Illinois and the University of Nevada. Dr. Patel earned her MSc in Global Health from Georgetown University, during which she worked with the WHO in Sierra Leone and Save the Children in Washington, D.C. She went on to complete her Family Medicine residency in Chicago at Norwegian American Hospital before completing a fellowship in Leadership in Value-based Care in conjunction with the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, where she earned her MBA. Dr. Patel’s interests include health tech and teaching medical students and she currently serves as Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Arizona School of Medicine.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Mar 31, 2024
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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Q.
Abnormal MPV Blood Test? Why Your Platelets Change & Medical Next Steps
A.
An abnormal MPV result means your average platelet size is outside the usual 7.5 to 11.5 fL; on its own it is not a diagnosis, but together with your platelet count and symptoms it can suggest causes like increased platelet turnover from blood loss or inflammation when high, or reduced bone marrow production when low. Typical next steps are a repeat CBC, review of the platelet count, targeted labs such as iron, B12, folate and thyroid tests, sometimes a blood smear, and hematology referral if results persist or you have red flag symptoms like unusual clots or bleeding. There are several factors to consider, and important details that could change your next steps are explained below.
References:
* Sahin T, Ozbebek AN, Kilickap M. Mean platelet volume and its role in various diseases: An updated review. Ann Hematol. 2021 Nov;100(11):2653-2666. doi: 10.1007/s00277-021-04677-y. Epub 2021 Oct 7. PMID: 34623512.
* Kaya A, Akpek M, Karadavut S, Tanboga IH, Gul M, Ergül E. Mean platelet volume (MPV): the current state of art. Hematology. 2021 Dec;26(1):1084-1090. doi: 10.1080/16078454.2021.1994071. PMID: 34842146.
* Srivastava V, Khan AA, Jain A. Mean platelet volume: A reliable marker for diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases. J Clin Lab Anal. 2019 Sep;33(7):e22933. doi: 10.1002/jcla.22933. Epub 2019 Apr 23. PMID: 31012170; PMCID: PMC6680287.
* Hassan U, Ikram S. Mean Platelet Volume and Platelet Distribution Width and Their Usefulness for Medical Diagnoses and Prognoses. Clin Lab. 2020 Feb 1;66(2). doi: 10.7754/Clin.Lab.2019.190623. PMID: 32014605.
* Bath PM, Arundell K. Mean platelet volume: a simple, useful and cost-effective marker in various medical conditions. Clin Chim Acta. 2016 Jan 1;452:160-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2015.11.009. Epub 2015 Nov 12. PMID: 26585141.
Q.
Abnormal Platelets? Why Your Blood Is Changing and Medical Next Steps
A.
Abnormal platelet counts can signal anything from a temporary reaction to infection, inflammation, or iron deficiency to a bone marrow disorder, and they shift your risk toward bleeding when low and harmful clots when high. Typical next steps include a repeat test, review of symptoms and medicines, targeted labs and sometimes genetic tests or bone marrow biopsy, with treatment based on the cause; there are several factors to consider, so see below for urgent red flags, when to seek care, and detailed options that could change your plan.
References:
* He R, Xiang Y, Zhang Q. Platelet disorders: A comprehensive review of classification, pathophysiology, and management. Blood Rev. 2021 Mar;46:100742. doi: 10.1016/j.blre.2020.100742. Epub 2020 Sep 28. PMID: 33004245.
* Gresele P, Momi S, Frossi B, Pignatelli P. Platelet disorders: an update. Semin Thromb Hemost. 2017 Mar;43(2):107-118. doi: 10.1055/s-0036-1597876. Epub 2017 Jan 25. PMID: 28122396.
* Arnold DM. Thrombocytopenia: current concepts in pathophysiology and treatment. J Clin Med. 2020 Jul 15;9(7):2216. doi: 10.3390/jcm9072216. PMID: 32679758; PMCID: PMC7408713.
* Jana R, Gupta V. Thrombocytosis: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management. Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Aug 17;8:709323. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.709323. eCollection 2021. PMID: 34485303; PMCID: PMC8410294.
* Michelson AD, Nurden P, Konstantopoulos K, Nurden AT. Inherited platelet function disorders: an update of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis-Scientific and Standardization Committee classification. J Thromb Haemost. 2022 Jul;20(7):1694-1707. doi: 10.1111/jth.15730. Epub 2022 May 31. PMID: 35607540.
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Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1Tefferi A, Pardanani A. Essential Thrombocythemia. N Engl J Med. 2019 Nov 28;381(22):2135-2144. doi: 10.1056/NEJMcp1816082. PMID: 31774958.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMcp1816082Guglielmelli P, Vannucchi AM. Current management strategies for polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia. Blood Rev. 2020 Jul;42:100714. doi: 10.1016/j.blre.2020.100714. Epub 2020 Jun 3. PMID: 32546373.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0268960X20300643?via%3DihubMora B, Passamonti F. Developments in diagnosis and treatment of essential thrombocythemia. Expert Rev Hematol. 2019 Mar;12(3):159-171. doi: 10.1080/17474086.2019.1585239. Epub 2019 Mar 13. PMID: 30793984.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17474086.2019.1585239Maleknia M, Shahrabi S, Ghanavat M, Vosoughi T, Saki N. Essential thrombocythemia: a hemostatic view of thrombogenic risk factors and prognosis. Mol Biol Rep. 2020 Jun;47(6):4767-4778. doi: 10.1007/s11033-020-05536-x. Epub 2020 May 30. PMID: 32472297.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11033-020-05536-xHarrison CN, Green AR. Essential thrombocythemia. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2003 Oct;17(5):1175-90, vii. doi: 10.1016/s0889-8588(03)00082-0. PMID: 14560781.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889858803000820?via%3Dihub