“…Furthermore, even a haematocrit of 45% would still be too high for some women (Drenou et al , 1992; Lamy et al , 1997). In essence, the effectiveness of phlebotomy in this, the only randomized, prospective, therapeutic trial for polycythaemia vera, and the treatment option most unpopular with the organizing committee (Berlin, 1995), was rendered unevaluable. Thus, the contentions that both phlebotomy per se and an increased phlebotomy requirement were associated with an increased risk of thrombosis (Berk et al , 1986) are unproved; the former because of study design and the latter because the phlebotomy requirement in polycythaemia vera is directly related to the available iron supply and not to disease tempo (Finch et al , 1950; Messinezy et al , 1985).…”