Assessment of spleen size using gamma camera scintigraphy in newly diagnosed patients with essential thrombocythaemia and polycythaemia vera.

• By using gamma camera imaging the spleen size was assessed in 18 consecutive patients with essential thrombocythaemia (ET) and in 18 consecutive patients with polycythaemia vera (PV). All ET and PV patients were newly diagnosed and had not received any myelosuppressive therapy prior to study. The spleen areas in both posterior and left lateral projections were determined. Eighteen consecutive patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) served as a control group since by definition they do not present with splenic enlargement; in these latter subjects the mean posterior and left lateral splenic areas were almost identical (48 +/- 15 and 47 +/- 17 cm2, respectively). In comparison with this control group patients with ET and PC had significantly larger spleens. In both ET and in PV patients the left lateral spleen scan area exceeded the posterior one. Patients with PV had larger splenic areas in both projections than did patients with ET, but the differences were not statistically significant. Compared to the ITP patients it was found that at least 50% of the ET patients and at least 61% of the PV patients at diagnosis presented with splenomegaly.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Adult

Aged

Aged

80 and over

Female

Humans

Male

Middle Aged

Polycythemia Vera

complications

pathology

radionuclide imaging

Purpura

Thrombocytopenic

Idiopathic

pathology

radionuclide imaging

Spleen

radionuclide imaging

Splenomegaly

etiology

pathology

radionuclide imaging

Thrombocythemia

Essential

complications

pathology

radionuclide imaging

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)