BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuMyelofibrosisIdiopathic myelofibrosis; Myeloid metaplasia; Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia; Primary myelofibrosis; Secondary myelofibrosis; Bone marrow - myelofibrosisMyelofibrosis is a disorder of the bone marrow in which the marrow is replaced by fibrous scar tissue. Causes Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones. Stem cells are immature cells in the bone marrow that develop into all of your blood cells. Your blood is made of:Red blood cells (which carry oxygen to your tissues) White blood cells (which fight infection) Platelets (which help your blood clot) When the bone marrow is scarred, it cannot make enough blood cells. Anemia, bleeding problems, and a higher risk for infections may occur.AnemiaAnemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues. Different type...Read Article Now Book Mark Article As a result, the liver and spleen try to make some of these blood cells. This causes these organs to swell.The cause of myelofibrosis is often unknown. There are no known risk factors. When it occurs, it often develops slowly in people over age 50. Women and men are equally affected. There is an increased occurrence of this condition in Ashkenazi Jews.Blood and bone marrow cancers, such as myelodysplastic syndrome, leukemia, and lymphoma, may also cause bone marrow scarring. This is called secondary myelofibrosis.LeukemiaLeukemia is a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue in the center of the bones, where blood cells are ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms Symptoms may include any of the following:Abdominal fullness, pain, or feeling full before finishing a meal (because of an enlarged spleen) Abdominal fullnessGas is air in the intestine that is passed through the rectum. Air that moves from the digestive tract through the mouth is called belching. Gas is ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Bone pain Bone painBone pain or tenderness is aching or other discomfort in one or more bones.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Easy bleeding, bruising BruisingBleeding into the skin can occur from broken blood vessels that form tiny red dots (called petechiae). Blood also can collect under the tissue in la...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Fatigue Increased likelihood of getting an infection Pale skin Pale skinPaleness is an abnormal loss of color from normal skin or mucous membranes.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Shortness of breath with exercise Shortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Weight loss Night sweats Low grade fever Enlarged liver Dry cough Itchy skin Exams and Tests The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about the symptoms.Tests that may be done include:Complete blood count (CBC) with blood smear to check different types of blood cells Complete blood countA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Measuring tissue damage (LDH enzyme level) LDH enzyme levelThe lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme test checks how much of the different types of LDH, called isoenzymes, are present in the blood.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Molecular testing Bone marrow biopsy to diagnose the condition and to check for bone marrow cancers Bone marrow biopsyA bone marrow biopsy is the removal of marrow from inside bone. Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that helps form blood cells. It is foun...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Bone marrow or stem cell transplant may improve symptoms, and may cure the disease. This treatment is usually considered for younger people.Bone marrowA bone marrow transplant is a procedure to replace damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. Bone marrow is the soft, fatt...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Other treatment may involve:Blood transfusions and medicines to correct anemia Radiation and chemotherapy ChemotherapyThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Targeted medicines Targeted medicinesTargeted therapy uses medicines to stop cancer from growing and spreading. It does this with less harm to normal cells than other treatments. Stand...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Removal of the spleen (splenectomy) if swelling causes symptoms, or to help with anemia SplenectomySpleen removal is surgery to remove a diseased or damaged spleen. This surgery is called splenectomy. The spleen is in the upper part of the belly, ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) As the disease worsens, the bone marrow slowly stops working. Low platelet count leads to easy bleeding. Spleen swelling may get worse along with anemia.Survival of people with primary myelofibrosis is about 5 years. But some people survive for decades. Possible Complications Complications may include:Development of acute myelogenous leukemia Acute myelogenous leukemiaAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is cancer that starts inside bone marrow. This is the soft tissue in the center of bones that helps form all blood cell...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Infections Bleeding Blood clots Liver failure When to Contact a Medical Professional Make an appointment with your provider if you have symptoms of this disorder. Seek medical care right away for uncontrolled bleeding, shortness of breath, or jaundice (yellow skin and whites of the eyes) that gets worse.Open ReferencesReferencesGotlib J. Polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 157.Long NM, Kavanagh EC. Myelofibrosis. In: Pope TL, Bloem HL, Beltran J, Morrison WB, Wilson DJ, eds. Musculoskeletal Imaging. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 76.Mascarenhas J, Najfeld V, Kremyanskaya M, Keyzner A, Salama ME, Hoffman R. Primary myelofibrosis. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 70.Sive J, Foggo V. Haematological oncology. In: Feather A, Randall D, Waterhouse M, eds. Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 17.AllVideoImagesTogRelated Information Anemia(Condition)Platelet count(Medical Test)Splenomegaly(Symptoms)Acute myeloid leukemia - adult(Condition)Anemia - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 4/29/2022 Reviewed By: Todd Gersten, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Wellington, FL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. 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MyelofibrosisIdiopathic myelofibrosis; Myeloid metaplasia; Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia; Primary myelofibrosis; Secondary myelofibrosis; Bone marrow - myelofibrosisMyelofibrosis is a disorder of the bone marrow in which the marrow is replaced by fibrous scar tissue. Causes Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones. Stem cells are immature cells in the bone marrow that develop into all of your blood cells. Your blood is made of:Red blood cells (which carry oxygen to your tissues) White blood cells (which fight infection) Platelets (which help your blood clot) When the bone marrow is scarred, it cannot make enough blood cells. Anemia, bleeding problems, and a higher risk for infections may occur.AnemiaAnemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues. Different type...Read Article Now Book Mark Article As a result, the liver and spleen try to make some of these blood cells. This causes these organs to swell.The cause of myelofibrosis is often unknown. There are no known risk factors. When it occurs, it often develops slowly in people over age 50. Women and men are equally affected. There is an increased occurrence of this condition in Ashkenazi Jews.Blood and bone marrow cancers, such as myelodysplastic syndrome, leukemia, and lymphoma, may also cause bone marrow scarring. This is called secondary myelofibrosis.LeukemiaLeukemia is a type of blood cancer that begins in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft tissue in the center of the bones, where blood cells are ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Symptoms Symptoms may include any of the following:Abdominal fullness, pain, or feeling full before finishing a meal (because of an enlarged spleen) Abdominal fullnessGas is air in the intestine that is passed through the rectum. Air that moves from the digestive tract through the mouth is called belching. Gas is ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Bone pain Bone painBone pain or tenderness is aching or other discomfort in one or more bones.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Easy bleeding, bruising BruisingBleeding into the skin can occur from broken blood vessels that form tiny red dots (called petechiae). Blood also can collect under the tissue in la...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Fatigue Increased likelihood of getting an infection Pale skin Pale skinPaleness is an abnormal loss of color from normal skin or mucous membranes.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Shortness of breath with exercise Shortness of breathBreathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathing Uncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough airRead Article Now Book Mark Article Weight loss Night sweats Low grade fever Enlarged liver Dry cough Itchy skin Exams and Tests The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about the symptoms.Tests that may be done include:Complete blood count (CBC) with blood smear to check different types of blood cells Complete blood countA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Measuring tissue damage (LDH enzyme level) LDH enzyme levelThe lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzyme test checks how much of the different types of LDH, called isoenzymes, are present in the blood.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Molecular testing Bone marrow biopsy to diagnose the condition and to check for bone marrow cancers Bone marrow biopsyA bone marrow biopsy is the removal of marrow from inside bone. Bone marrow is the soft tissue inside bones that helps form blood cells. It is foun...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment Bone marrow or stem cell transplant may improve symptoms, and may cure the disease. This treatment is usually considered for younger people.Bone marrowA bone marrow transplant is a procedure to replace damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. Bone marrow is the soft, fatt...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Other treatment may involve:Blood transfusions and medicines to correct anemia Radiation and chemotherapy ChemotherapyThe term chemotherapy is used to describe cancer-killing drugs. Chemotherapy may be used to:Cure the cancerShrink the cancerPrevent the cancer from ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Targeted medicines Targeted medicinesTargeted therapy uses medicines to stop cancer from growing and spreading. It does this with less harm to normal cells than other treatments. Stand...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Removal of the spleen (splenectomy) if swelling causes symptoms, or to help with anemia SplenectomySpleen removal is surgery to remove a diseased or damaged spleen. This surgery is called splenectomy. The spleen is in the upper part of the belly, ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Outlook (Prognosis) As the disease worsens, the bone marrow slowly stops working. Low platelet count leads to easy bleeding. Spleen swelling may get worse along with anemia.Survival of people with primary myelofibrosis is about 5 years. But some people survive for decades. Possible Complications Complications may include:Development of acute myelogenous leukemia Acute myelogenous leukemiaAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) is cancer that starts inside bone marrow. This is the soft tissue in the center of bones that helps form all blood cell...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Infections Bleeding Blood clots Liver failure When to Contact a Medical Professional Make an appointment with your provider if you have symptoms of this disorder. Seek medical care right away for uncontrolled bleeding, shortness of breath, or jaundice (yellow skin and whites of the eyes) that gets worse.Open ReferencesReferencesGotlib J. Polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofibrosis. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 157.Long NM, Kavanagh EC. Myelofibrosis. In: Pope TL, Bloem HL, Beltran J, Morrison WB, Wilson DJ, eds. Musculoskeletal Imaging. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 76.Mascarenhas J, Najfeld V, Kremyanskaya M, Keyzner A, Salama ME, Hoffman R. Primary myelofibrosis. In: Hoffman R, Benz EJ, Silberstein LE, et al, eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 70.Sive J, Foggo V. Haematological oncology. In: Feather A, Randall D, Waterhouse M, eds. Kumar and Clark's Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 17.