Abstract
Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is an uncommon haematological disorder characterized by diffuse fibrosis of the bone marrow associated with a progressive anemia. Management of PMF consists mainly of repeated blood transfusions. A 38-year-old man was found to have a pancytopenia and made the diagnosis of PMF. Partial splenic embolization (PSE) produced an improvement of haematological features in this case. Leukocyte and platelet counts remarkably increased, and the transfusion reqirements were reduced after PSE. The role of surgical or non-surgical splenectomy in PMF remains controversial in consideration of the risk of the operation and extramedullary haematopoiesis involving spleen. On the other hand, there have been many cases that the operation provided satisfactory symptomatic improvement and markedly improved the blood picture. PSE is one of the procedures for the treatment of hypersplenism. It should be considered that PSE is the treatment of pancytopenia requiring repeated blood transfusions.
