Polycythemia: Is EPO Elevated?

In this patient, I'd be asking if the EPO is elevated or not to help guide my approach to polycythemia. At some institutions, EPO can take a while to come back so it's important to proceed with what you think is the most likely etiology here based on the underlying exam, history, and clinical features. In these cases, it is often helpful to consult our hematology colleagues. They can often guide and next steps after an initial lab and imaging workup,. particularly if therapies like cytoreductive therapy or diagnostic workup like bone marrow bots are needed.