MedEd - Haematology

Question 1

Blood stem cells split into …

Answer 1

Lymphoid and myeloid stem cells

Question 2

Acute leukaemias

Answer 2

Immature cells (blasts) in the blood and bone marrow 
Neoplastic conditions with rapid onset

Question 3

Bone marrow failure triad

Answer 3

Anaemia - fatigue, pallor, breathlessness
Neuropenia -infections
Thrombocytopenia - bruising

Question 4

Acute myeloid leukaemia

Answer 4

Unknown cause
Blast cells do not lead to promyelocytes so you get many premature myeloblasts and no lymphocytes produced so infections?

Question 5

AML on blood film

Answer 5

Auer rods on blood film

Question 6

Promyelocytic leukaemia

Answer 6

AML subtype
T(15;17)
Causes DIC

Question 7

ALL

Answer 7

Mostly B cell ALL
most common in children
Features of bone marrow failure
Organ infiltratiom (T cell ALL can cause mediastinal compression causing stridor and wheeze)

Question 8

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Answer 8

Mature lymphocytes cant die so crowding
Asymptomatic in 50%
High lymphocytes but all other features of bone marrow failure

Question 9

CLL on blood film

Answer 9

Smear smudge cells

Question 10

What can CLL progress to?

Answer 10

Richter’s syndrome (non hodkins lymphoma) rare

Question 11

Chronic myeloid leukaemia

Answer 11

BCR-ABL (philadelphia chronmosome)

90% have splenomegaly