Therapeutic Erythrocytapheresis is Effective in Treating 2 Patients with High-Altitude Erythrocythemia

• DOI: 10.7754/clin.lab.2024.240818
• Publication Date: 2025-01-14T15:53:34Z
• Authors: Lingli Yan; Zhenglian Luo; Bin Tan

Due to environmental hypoxia on the high-altitude local residents often exhibit a compensative increase in hemoglobin concentration maintain body's oxygen supply. In certain people, number of red blood cells continues grow, resulting high altitude polycythemia (HAPC) which is characterized by headache, disorientation, sleeplessness, and bone discomfort. HAPC associated with multiple complications, lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans (LEASO) rare. Here we report two long-term Tibetan male patients living plateau areas, who were diagnosed complicated LEASO. The diagnostic standards for are based Qinghai score, that patient currently or once lived results conventional tests show Hb > 21 g/dL males 19 females. severe complications caused abnor-mally levels, they underwent an individualized regimen therapeutic erythrocytapheresis (TE). After one TE treatment, both hematocrit decreased significantly 2 (Hb from 20 17.6 18 patients), alleviating further deterioration disease abnormal erythrocyte elevation. can reduce timely effective manner play clinical role progression extent, especially complications. needs be implemented time.