Table 1.
Diagnosis criteria for PV for the Polycythemia Vera Study Group (PVSG) and the 2008 WHO
| PVSGa | 2008 WHOb |
|---|---|
| Major criteria | |
| Elevated red cell mass | Hemoglobin >18.5 g/dL in men, 16.5 g/dL in women or other evidence of increased red cell volume* |
| Normal arterial O2 saturation | Presence of the JAK2 mutation or other functionally similar mutation such as JAK2 exon 12 deletion |
| Splenomegaly | |
| Minor criteria** | |
| Leukocytosis >12,000 | Bone marrow biopsy showing hypercellularity for age with trilineage growth (panmyelosis) with prominent erythroid, granulocytic, and megakaryocytic proliferation |
| Thrombocytosis >400,000 | Serum EPO level below the reference range for normal |
| Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase >100 | Endogenous erythroid colony formation in vitro |
| Serum B12>900 or B12 binding capacity >2,200 |
a
For the PVSG criteria, two of the minor criteria must be present in cases without splenomegaly
b
Diagnosis requires both major criteria and one minor criterion or the presence of the first major criterion together with two minor criteria