Primary familial and congenital polycythemia; The forgotten entity

Abstract

Primary familial and congenital polycythemia (PFCP) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by hypersensitivity of erythropoietin receptor of erythroid progenitors leading to increased rate of erythropoiesis at any given serum erythropoietin level. The hallmark of this disorder is isolated erythrocytosis with the absence of splenomegaly and lack of secondary causes of polycythemia. In this short review, we will shed light on various aspects of PFCP with special focus on molecular pathogenesis and diagnostic approach.