eMedicine - From WebMD (Definition)

/Home/Hematology - Diseases/Leukocytes Neoplasms/Meyloproliferative Disorders/Polycythemia Vera (PV)/Polycythemia Vera (PV) - Definition

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a stem cell disorder characterized as a panhyperplastic, malignant, and neoplastic marrow disorder. The most prominent feature of this disease is an elevated absolute red blood cell mass because of uncontrolled red blood cell production. This is accompanied by increased white blood cell (myeloid) and platelet (megakaryocytic) production, which is due to an abnormal clone of the hematopoietic stem cells with increased sensitivity to the different growth factors for maturation.