ESSENTIAL THROMBOCYTHEMIA AS A CAUSE OF SEVERE CHEST PAIN: CASE REPORT

Essential thrombocythemia is a myeloproliferative dise­ase that is characterized by elevated platelet count, speci­fic changes of megakaryocyte lineage in bone marrow as well as non-specific clinical symptoms. This case report presents a 40-year-old female complaining of episodic chest pain and shortness of breath. Cardiologists ruled out cardiovascular pathologies after performing electrocar­diography (ECG), echocardiography, a complete blood count, and a treadmill test. After a recurring episode of chest pain, the patient was sent to the emergency depar­tment on suspicion of acute coronary syndrome or pul­monary embolism but routine tests (ECG, troponin I, D-dimers, computed tomography pulmonary angiography) excluded these diagnoses. Essential thrombocythemia was diagnosed based on bone marrow trephine biopsy results and positive genetic testing for JAK2 mutation. The patient was assigned to the low-risk group, there­fore, she received aspirin therapy as well as correction of cardiovascular risk factors.