A rare myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by stem-cell derived clonal over proliferation of mature myeloid lineages, such as erythrocytes, leukocytes, and megakaryocytes, with variable degrees of megakaryocyte atypia, associated with reticulin and/or collagen bone marrow fibrosis, osteosclerosis, ineffective erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, extramedullary hematopoiesis, and abnormal cytokine expression.

Petechiae are pinpoint-sized reddish/purple spots, resembling a rash, that appear just under the skin or a mucous membrane when capillaries have ruptured and some superficial bleeding into the skin has happened. This term refers to an abnormally increased susceptibility to developing petechiae.