Successful perioperative management of a patient with erythropoietin-producing uterine myoma

BACKGROUND: Erythropoietin-producing uterine myoma can cause various complications such as arterial or venous thrombosis and bleeding. Therefore, caution is required in the anesthetic management of affected patients. CASE PRESENTATION: A 57-year-old female was suspected to have an erythropoietin-producing uterine myoma and was scheduled to undergo an abdominal total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Preoperative levels of hemoglobin and erythropoietin were 21.9 g/dl (normal 11.5–15 g/dl) and 23.2 IU/ml (normal 4.2–23.7 IU/ml), respectively. Preoperative phlebotomy and isovolemic hemodilution were performed to prevent arterial and venous thrombosis, following previous evidence that a hemoglobin level < 16 g/dl reduces the occurrence of polycythemia vera-related complications. Fondaparinux 2.5 mg was subcutaneously injected once daily after the operation, resulting in a good perioperative course without major complications. CONCLUSION: Herein, we have described a successful perioperative management of a patient with erythropoietin-producing uterine myoma. Our findings in this case suggest that this combination of antithrombotic therapies can facilitate anesthetic management of patients with this disease.