Background: Hydroxyurea has largely been utilized in the management of primary polycythemia. It is certainly efficient in the short and medium terms side effects are marked by a leukemogenic risk.
Aim: In this study we report the case in which hydroxyrea was for the first time used in the reatment of secondary polycythemia due to cyanotic congenital heart disease.
Case: Our patient was a 22-years-old man suffering from pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect, and for whom ther was no available surgical option. Because of severe symptomatic and demanding polycythemia requiring frequent phlebotomies, we decided to use hydroxyurea at the dose of Igr a day. Eight months later, ther was obvious clinical improvement with stable hematocrit levels below 60% and with only 3 phlebotomies in 8 months.
Conclusion: Hydroxyurea seems to be an eddicient there alternative therapy for seconday polycythemia caused by incurable cyantic congenital heart disease.