MASKED POLYCYTHEMIA-VERA IN A PATIENT WITH EXTRAHEPATIC PORTAL VENOUSOBSTRUCTION

Myeloproliferative disorder (MPD) is an important cause of thrombosis of the hepatic and portal venous system, The diagnosis in many of thes e patients is missed as they have an atypical clinical presentation an d may have a normal haematological profile at presentation. We report a 30-year-old patient with features of portal hypertension due to extr ahepatic portal venous obstruction. She had a normal haemoglobin level and haematocrit at presentation, but the red cell mass was found to b e elevated even in the presence of low serum iron levels. A diagnosis of polycythaemia vera as the underlying disease was made. Fur J Gastro enterol Hepatol 10:883-885 (C) 1998 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.