Patients with polycythemia vera or other myeloproliferative disorders often develop vascular thromboses.8,13 Should this occur in the hepatic veins or in the vessels of the portal venous system, portal hypertension may develop.9 Bleeding from esophageal varices may, therefore, occur as a complication of myeloproliferative blood disorders.
At The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, two patients with esophageal varices and primary hematologic disease were operated upon to control massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage. A review of the literature reveals that documented cases of a similar nature are few. In view of the seeming rarity of this complication, we think it of interest to report our cases and attempt to ascertain the cause and incidence thereof.
Report of Cases
Case 1.
—A 51-year-old white man was admitted to the hospital on June 4, 1957, with the chief complaint of massive hematemesis of two hours' duration. This was his fifth admission