What is 'Essential' about ET?: I'm intrigued with... - MPN Voice

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What is 'Essential' about ET?

ChrisAnnSen profile image
12 Replies

I'm intrigued with the name of this condition. What is 'Essential' about it; is there such a thing as Non-Essential Thrombocythemia? It just seems such a strange word to use.

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ChrisAnnSen profile image
ChrisAnnSen
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12 Replies
mhos61 profile image
mhos61

Hi ChrisAnnSen, I think in medical terms 'Essential' means of unknown cause. My Mother has 'Essential tremor,' which is also of unknown cause.

Mary x

JediReject profile image
JediReject

Yes Mary is correct I reckon, , though interestingly Myelofibrosis in my case was called idiopathic which means of no known cause so maybe it could be called IT 😮!! . . .

Cheers Chris

ChrisAnnSen profile image
ChrisAnnSen in reply to JediReject

Thanks Chris and Mary - at least I can now explain to friends why it is called 'Essential' because on the surface it is an odd description.

Jerrymohler profile image
Jerrymohler in reply to ChrisAnnSen

Essential means primary in this case.

JenngeetingR828 profile image
JenngeetingR828 in reply to Jerrymohler

Helpful to read b/c I was told by an OBGYN, essential in this case means "basically".. which it clearly is not the right reference.

catkinspolymer profile image
catkinspolymer

Hi Chris ,

I never saw what was so bloody essential about it, personally i could easily do without it.

Town Crier

Borage profile image
Borage

Idiopathic means that the cause is unknown.

Essential means that is a diseases in its own right, a neoplasm of the bone marrow cells which produces too many platelets- Thrombocythaemia.

Other conditions, like infections can cause raised platelet levels which a Reactive Thrombocythaemia.

ChrisAnnSen profile image
ChrisAnnSen

Thanks Borage - that's interesting to know. I really must get round to reading all the info in MPN Voice - I seem to spend most of my spare time reading threads in here - then the rest of the time trying to find the threads I'd read previously and wanted to reread.

Superwoman profile image
Superwoman

Hi ChrisAnnSen, I just like to think my ET is Extra Terrestrial and at some stage I will phone home 😃👆think I might be loosing it don't you,

ChrisAnnSen profile image
ChrisAnnSen

Join the rest of us Superwoman - there are times when frivolity is the only answer. :)

Timjonze profile image
Timjonze

When I was first diagnosed my brother said he personally preferred the Thrombocythemia Finest range, which did make me smile

Lynne-G profile image
Lynne-G

Hi I am Jack 2 neg with Carl positive ( don't have a clue what that means lol! Well I do, a bit ) I named my son Elliott after the joy in ET, I have always called him ET ( only his brother and I call him that) I now have two important ET's in my life.

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