Complications that may result from myelofibrosis include:
Aug. 01, 2014
- Increased pressure on blood flowing into your liver. Normally, blood flow from the spleen enters your liver through a large blood vessel called the portal vein. Increased blood flow from an enlarged spleen can lead to high blood pressure in the portal vein (portal hypertension). This in turn can force excess blood into smaller veins in your stomach and esophagus, potentially causing these veins to rupture and bleed.
- Pain. A severely enlarged spleen can cause abdominal pain and back pain.
- Growths in other areas of your body. Formation of blood cells outside the bone marrow (extramedullary hematopoiesis) may create clumps (tumors) of developing blood cells in other areas of your body. These tumors may cause problems such as bleeding in your gastrointestinal system, coughing or spitting up of blood, compression of your spinal cord, or seizures.
- Bleeding complications. As the disease progresses, your platelet count tends to drop below normal (thrombocytopenia) and platelet function becomes impaired. An insufficient number of platelets can lead to easy bleeding — an issue that you and your doctor will want to discuss if you're contemplating any type of surgical procedure.
- Painful bones and joints. Myelofibrosis can lead to hardening of your bone marrow and inflammation of the connective tissue that is found around the bones. This may cause bone and joint pain.
- Gout. Myelofibrosis increases your body's production of uric acid, a byproduct of the breakdown of purines — a substance found naturally in your body and in many foods. Overproduction of uric acid can lead to needle-like deposits of the substance in your joints, causing joint pain and inflammation (gout).
- Acute leukemia. Some people with myelofibrosis eventually develop acute myelogenous leukemia, a type of blood and bone marrow cancer that progresses rapidly.
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- Mesa RA. The evolving treatment paradigm in myelofibrosis. Leukemia & Lymphoma. 2013;2:242.
- Tefferi A, et al. One thousand patients with primary myelofibrosis: The Mayo Clinic experience. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2012;87:25.
- Myelofibrosis facts. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. http://www.lls.org/#/diseaseinformation/myeloproliferativediseases/idiopathicmyelofibrosis. Accessed Sept. 23, 2013.
- Thorium. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=659&tid=121. Accessed Sept. 23, 2013.
- Jakafi (prescribing information). Wilmington, Del.: Incyte Corporation; 2013. http://www.jakafi.com. Accessed Sept. 23, 2013.
- Bone marrow transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/bone-marrow-transplant. Accessed Sept. 25, 2013.
- Cook AJ. Decision Support System. Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 5, 2013.
- Mesa RA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Ariz. Sept. 26, 2013.
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