polycythaemia
/ˌpɒlɪsʌɪˈθiːmɪə
/(US polycythemia)
noun [mass noun] Medicine
An abnormally increased concentration of haemoglobin in the blood, either through reduction of plasma volume or increase in red cell numbers. It may be a primary disease of unknown cause, or a secondary condition linked to respiratory or circulatory disorder or cancer.The differential diagnoses included chronic hepatitis, idiopathic urticaria, uremia, polycythemia, thyroid disease, and malignancy, among others....
- This is more than twice the production rate in adults, primarily because of relative polycythemia and increased red blood cell turnover in neonates.
- Because in chronic pulmonary disease both hypoxemia and polycythemia are simultaneously present, their individual effects on the pulmonary circulation have been difficult to define.
Origin
Mid 19th century: modern Latin, from poly- 'many' + -cyte 'cell' + haemo- 'blood' + -ia1.