Myeloproliferative disease

The myeloproliferative diseases ("MPD"s) are a group of diseases of the bone marrow in which excess cells are produced. They are related to, and may evolve into, myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia, although the myeloproliferative diseases on the whole have a much better prognosis than these conditions. The concept of myeloproliferative disease was first proposed in 1951 by the eminent hematologist William Dameshek.

Classification
Although not a malignant neoplasm, MPDs are classified within the hematological neoplasms.

There are four main myeloproliferative diseases, which can be further categorized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome:

Causes
All MPDs arise from precursors of the "myeloid" lineage in the bone marrow. The lymphoid lineage may produce similar diseases, the lymphoproliferative disorders (acute lymphoblastic leukemia, lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma).

Diagnosis
Depending on the nature of the myeloproliferative disorder, diagnostic tests may include red cell mass determination (for polycythaemia), bone marrow aspirate and trephine biopsy, arterial oxygen saturation and carboxyhaemoglobin level, neutrophil alkaline phosphatase level, vitamin B12 (or B12 binding capacity) and serum urate.<ref

In 2005, the discovery of the JAK2 V617F mutation provided some evidence to suggest a common pathogenesis for the Philadelphia Chromosome negative MPDs.