Summary
Summary Haematology - Acute Leukaemia
- Course
- SCMD3000 (SCMD3000)
- Institution
- University Of The Witwatersrand (wits)
These notes are a combination of lecture notes as well as those from a textbook.
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ACUTE LEUKAEMIA- Uncontrolled proliferation of immature cells d/t a maturation block
- ↑ proliferation of immature blasts in blood & bone marrow
- Results in BM failing to produce normal cells → Neutropenia/ Anaemia/ Thrombocytopenia
- Rapid progression (Death within 3 months)
Leukaemic hiatus:
- There is a population of ↑ blasts in AL & a small population of mature neutrophils but no
metamyelocytes/ myelocytes therefore the gap between the blasts & mature cells is large & = THE
LEUKAEMIC HIATUS
General signs of Acute leukaemia:
- Recurrent infections
- Unexplained pancytopenia – Bone marrow failure
- Lymphadenopathy
- Hepatosplenomegaly
- Infiltrations (CNS, gum, gonads)
- DIC
Diagnosis
If suspect AL then do FBC & Bone biopsy/aspirate which then are used to:
- Microscopy: To look for the cell morphology (Presence of blasts)
→ If bone aspirate has > 20% of blast cells then AL
→ Blast has: High N:C ratio; Open nucleus cytoplasm; Prominent nucleolus
- Flow cytometry (Use surface proteins on cells to determine cell origin & lineage E.g. To identify
blasts look for the presence of CD34, CD117)
- Cytogenetics (Karyotype to look for translocations etc)
- FISH & PCR
Causes of AL:
- Damage to DNA in the haemopoetic precursor cells & phenotype depends on number, location,
size of DNA lesions:
→ Viruses which infect haemopoetic cells (EBV)
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