A 57-year-old male presents to his physician for red face, hands, feet, ears, and headache and drowsiness. A blood smear reveals an increased number of erythrocytes, indicating:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms of red face, hands, feet, and ears along with headache and drowsiness are indicative of polycythemia vera, which is a condition characterized by an increase in the number of erythrocytes. Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, and sideroblastic anemia is a condition where the bone marrow fails to produce healthy red blood cells. Hemosiderosis is an accumulation of iron in the body, which is not related to the symptoms presented by the patient. Therefore, the best choice is A, polycythemia vera.

A 57-Year-Old Male Presents to His Physician for Red Face