Myeloproliferative diseases are a group of diseases that arise when the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets (platelet cells). A person who suffers from myeloproliferative disease can feel various symptoms, including shortness of breath, pale skin, until the body feels weak.
Myeloproliferative diseases are divided into 6 types, which are distinguished based on the disorders that occur. The six types of myeloproliferative diseases include:
- Chronic myelocytic (granulocytic) leukemia (CML). Indolent cancer (growing slowly) caused by the number of white blood cells that are not perfect in the bone marrow and blood.
- Polycythemiavera. High levels of red blood cells, both in the bone marrow and blood, so the blood becomes thicker.
- myelofibrosis.A condition in which there are a lot of imperfect red blood cells and white blood cells in the body.
- Essential thrombocythemia. There is an increase in the number of platelets or platelets in the blood.
- Chronicneutrophilicleukemia. The patient's blood contains a lot of white blood cells called neutrophils.
- Chronic eosinophilic leukemia. There are many types of white blood cells called eosinophils in the bone marrow, blood, and other body tissues.
Each type of disease requires different treatment. If not treated properly, this disease has the potential to cause complications, one of which is periostitis.
Symptoms of Myeloproliferative Disease
Symptoms of myeloproliferative disease in each patient are different, depending on the conditions suffered. Myeloproliferative diseases can be characterized by the appearance of:
- Hard to breathe
- Pale skin or flush (rosy)
- Body feels weak
- Headache
- Sweating at night
- Easy to bleed
- Easy bruising
- Fever
- Easy to get infected
Causes of myeloproliferative disease
Basically, blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, each of which has a different function. Red blood cells function to carry oxygen and supply it throughout the body. White blood cells function to protect the body from harmful organisms, and platelets function to control bleeding.
These three substances are originally produced by the bone marrow. In someone who suffers from myeloproliferative disease, the bone marrow is impaired so that it produces too many defective blood cells.
It is not known for certain the cause of the disorder that makes the bone marrow produce defective blood cells. However, there are allegations that this condition is caused by changes in genes, viral infections, poisoning of a substance, and exposure to radiation.
Diagnosis of myeloproliferative disease
Diagnosing myeloproliferative disease is difficult, requiring ongoing examination. The diagnosis process begins with examining the symptoms that appear and the patient's overall health condition. After completion, the examination will be continued with supporting tests.
The supporting tests used in the diagnosis process vary, depending on the results of the doctor's examination. Some of the tests that can be used to diagnose myeloproliferative disease are:
- Blood test. In this test, the doctor will take the patient's blood to be sampled and examined further in the laboratory.
- Bone marrow aspiration. Bone marrow aspiration examination is done by taking a sample from the patient's bone marrow, then testing it in a laboratory.
- Gene analysis. This test uses a sample of blood or bone marrow to detect changes in chromosomes.
Myeloproliferative Disease Treatment
Myeloproliferative disease is a condition that is difficult to completely cure. Treatment aims to restore blood levels to normal conditions.
This disease needs to be treated by an oncologist. Each type of myeloproliferative disease requires different treatment, according to the patient's condition.
Several methods are used to treat myeloproliferative disease, namely:
- Drug administration. Your doctor can prescribe prednisone and danazol used if the patient is anemic, or anagrelide which is used to prevent blood clots in patients who have high platelet levels.
- Phlebotomy or waste blood. This method of handling is carried out by removing several hundred cc blood, almost the same when you're donating blood. That way, the excess red blood cells in the body can be reduced.
- Chemotherapy. In this method, treatment is carried out by giving special drugs that function to kill excess blood cells.
- Gene therapy. The therapy recommended by the doctor can be in the form of giving drugs that aim to prevent or correct gene abnormalities.
- Hormone therapy. The doctor will give additional hormones that function to prevent the bone marrow from producing excessive blood cells.
- Stem cell transplant. Stem cell transplantation or bone marrow transplantation is the only treatment that has high potential in curing myeloproliferative disease. In this procedure, the patient's bone marrow is replaced by implanting healthy bone marrow from a donor.
- Radiotherapy. The patient will be exposed to strong X-ray radiation, both from outside and inside the body, using special equipment. Radiation therapy or radiotherapy works to reduce the number of blood cells while relieving the patient's symptoms.
If the myeloproliferative disease is mild, intensive treatment is not required. In certain cases, doctors only give aspirin to prevent blood clots.
Complications of Myeloproliferative Disease
Complications of myeloproliferative disease vary, depending on the type of disease. If the type of disease suffered is myelofibrosis, then several complications that can occur, namely:
- infarctionspleen, disorders of the spleen circulatory system.
- Osteosclerosis,abnormal bone growth.
- periostitis,inflammation of the tissue around the bone.
In addition to the three diseases above, complications of myelofibrosis can also be portal hypertension. Portal hypertension is a condition in which there is an increase in pressure in the portal vein, which is the blood vessel that carries blood to the liver.
