The Bone Marrow in Secondary Polycythemia Associated with Cor Pulmonale

Abstract

Bone marrow smears of 16 patients suffering from chronic cor pulmonale with polycythemia were examined. The number of nucleated red cells was increased, the mean per-centage being 45; the number of myeloid cells and megakaryocytes was within the normal range. The ratio of the granulocytic series to the nucleated erythroid series was 1.110. These findings differ from those of polycythemia vera and indicate that the mechanism of erythropoiesis in polycythemia secondary to anoxemia differs from that in polycythemia vera.