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Primary Myelofibrosis
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What is primary myelofibrosis?
Khan Academy
Related terms:
chronic myelogenous leukemia
leukemoid reaction
polycythemia vera
thrombocytosis
Neoplastic Process
primary myelofibrosis Audio
[ prahy-mer-ee, -muh-ree mahy-uh-loh-fahy-broh-sis ]
Subclass of:
Myeloproliferative disease
Also called:
Agnogenic Myeloid Metaplasia; Myelofibrosis with Myeloid Metaplasia
Definitions related to primary myelofibrosis:
  • A chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by bone marrow fibrosis, proliferation of atypical megakaryocytes and granulocytes in the bone marrow, anemia, splenomegaly, and extramedullary hematopoiesis. (WHO, 2001)
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • A de novo myeloproliferation arising from an abnormal stem cell. It is characterized by the replacement of bone marrow by fibrous tissue, a process that is mediated by CYTOKINES arising from the abnormal clone.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
  • Primary myelofibrosis is a condition characterized by the buildup of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the bone marrow, the tissue that produces blood cells. Because of the fibrosis, the bone marrow is unable to make enough normal blood cells. The shortage of blood cells causes many of the signs and symptoms of primary myelofibrosis. Initially, most people with primary myelofibrosis have no signs or symptoms. Eventually, fibrosis can lead to a reduction in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A shortage of red blood cells (anemia) often causes extreme tiredness (fatigue) or shortness of breath. A loss of white blood cells can lead to an increased number of infections, and a reduction of platelets can cause easy bleeding or bruising. Because blood cell formation (hematopoiesis) in the bone marrow is disrupted, other organs such as the spleen or liver may begin to produce blood cells. This process, called extramedullary hematopoiesis, often leads to an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly) or an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly). People with splenomegaly may feel pain or fullness in the abdomen, especially below the ribs on the left side. Other common signs and symptoms of primary myelofibrosis include fever, night sweats, and bone pain. Primary myelofibrosis is most commonly diagnosed in people aged 50 to 80 but can occur at any age.
    MedlinePlus Genetics
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
  • (agnogenic myeloid metaplasia) A progressive, chronic disease in which the bone marrow is replaced by fibrous tissue and blood is made in organs such as the liver and the spleen, instead of in the bone marrow. This disease is marked by an enlarged spleen and progressive anemia.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by bone marrow fibrosis, splenomegaly, and anemia with nucleated and teardrop-shaped red blood cells. Diagnosis requires bone marrow examination and exclusion of other conditions that can cause myelofibrosis (secondary myelofibrosis). Treatment is often...
    Merck Manuals
    Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
  • Primary myelofibrosis is a clonal disorder arising from the neoplastic transformation of early hematopoietic stem cells. Older terms for this disorder include agnogenic myeloid metaplasia with myelofibrosis and chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis.
    Medscape
    WebMD, 2019
  • Primary myelofibrosis is a condition characterized by the buildup of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the spongy tissue tissue inside the bone (bone marrow), the tissue that contains the stem cells that will produce blood cells. Because of the fibrosis, the bone marrow is unable to make enough normal blood cells. In myelofibrosis, the bone...
    NIH Genetic and Rare Diseases
    National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
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