Long-term outcome of 231 patients with essential thrombocythemia: prognostic factors for thrombosis, bleeding, myelofibrosis, and leukemia.

Background: Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is a clonal myeloproliferative disease associated with thrombohemorrhagic complications and myeloid transformation to diseases such as myelofibrosis and acute myeloid leukemia.

Methods: A multicenter study was conducted among 231 consecutive Chinese patients with ET. The literature about leukemogenic risk associated with the use of hydroxyurea therapy was reviewed.