Abstract
Essential thrombocythemia (ET) is rare and characterized by persistant thrombocytosis, necessitating measures to prevent thrombotic complications We report a case of essential ET with gastric cancer. A 77-year-old man with ET was treated with aspirin and hydroxycarbamide for 8 years experienced epigastralgia, found in gastrointestinal fiberscopy to be early gastric cancer in the U region. Upon admission, we changed his therapeutic ET regimen from aspirin to heparin and postponed hydroxycarbamide from 2 days preoperatively before laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy. Heparin was resumed on postoperative day (POD) 2 and aspirin on POD 5. Because his platelet count exceeded 70×104/μl, we resumed hydroxycarbamide on POD 12. No ET-related complication occurred. Adequate platelet count control and anticoagulant therapy through the perioperative period are very important for surgical patients with ET. In so far as we know, no gastrointestinal cancer patients with ET have been treated by laparoscopic surgery.
