Anaemia Flashcards
Define anaemia
Clinical presentation defined by reduction in PCV, red blood cell count, haemoglobin
Give examples of normal variations that may lead to increased PCV
- Greyhounds and other sighthounds often naturally have higher PCV (>50)
- Stress/excitement causing splenic contraction, temporary increase in circulating RBCs
- Anabolic steroids
Give examples of normal variations that may lead to decreased PCV
- Age: puppies and kittens <6-12 months have lower normal range
- ACP (relaxes splenic capsule)
- Reproductive status (late pregnancy)
What are teh potential aetiologies of anaemia?
Loss of blood cells via blood loss, reduced production or haemolysis
What are the potential causes of a regenerative anaemia?
- Haemorrhage
- Haemolysis
List potential causes of haemorrhage
- Internal loss or external loss
- Trauma
- Coagulopathy
- Endo or ectoparasites
- GI blood loss (tumours, ulcers)
List the potential causes of haemolysis
- Erythrocytes removed from circulation by macrophages in spleen, liver, bone marrow (extravascular haemolysis) because they or the system are abnormal
- Destruction of erythrocytes in vascular space
- Immune mediated diseases
- Infection
- Oxidative damage
- Rare genetic disorders
Give examples of infections that lead to haemolysis
- Babesia spp..
- Mycoplasma haemofelis
Give examples pf oxidants that lead to haemolysis
- Heavy metals
- Onion
- Garlic
- rape
- Kale
Cabbages - Drugs e.g. paracetamol
- Phenothiazine in horses
Compare the toxic dose of paracetamol in cats and dogs
- Cats: much lower, 10-40mg/kg
- Dogs: 100mg/kg
Explain how oxidants cause haemolysis
Oxidation of haem iron to form methaemoglobin and/or oxidation of haemoglobin to form Heinz bodies
List genetic disorders that may cause haemolysis
- Hereditary non-spherocytic haemolytic anaemia
- Pyruvate kinase deficiency
- Phosphodructokinase deficiency
- Feline porphyra
- Haemolysis in Abyssinian and Somali cats
List potential causes for intra-marrow suppression of erythropoiesis leading to non-regenerative anaemia
- Primary disorders of erythropoiesis
- iron deficiency
- Aplastic anaemia (damage to haemopoietic stem cells)
- Pure red cell aplasia (only red cells not produced)
- Myelofirbosis
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
Describe myelofibrosis
- Scarring in bone marrow, can no longer produce cells
- Replacement of marrow with fibroblasts and collagen
- May be primary or secondary following IMHA, neoplasia for example
What may cause aplastic anaemia?
- Ehrlichia canis
- Canine and feline parvo
- Idiopathic
- Drugs incl. chemo
Describe pure red cell aplasia
- Only red cells not produced
- Can be immune mediated, FeLV-C
Describe myelodusplastic syndromes
- Stem cells not forming properly, usually some form of neoplasia
- Includes Refractory Anaemia (RA), Refractory Anaemia with Excess Blasts (RAEB) and others
- Slow form of leukaemia
List potential causes for extra-marrow suppression of erythropoiesis leading to non-regenerative anaemia
- Anaemia of chronic disease
- Anaemia of chronic renal failure
- Secondary to endocrine disorders
- Oestrogen induced bone marrow suppression
- FeLV (additionally to specific disease of FeLV - C)
(secondary disorder of erythropoiesis)
What type of anaemia are the following blood smear features indicative of?
- reticulocytes >5%
- Anisocytosis
- Poikilocytosis
- Normoblastosis
- Howell-Jolly bodies elevated
- Heinz bodies elevated
- Reactive leukocytoosis
Regenerative anaemia
Describe the blood smear characteristics of non-regnerative anaemia
- No atempt to produce new cells
- No reticulocites/polychromasia, anisocytosis, poikilocytosis, normoblastosis (unless damage to bone marrow stroma or in MPD), Howell-Jolly bodies, Heinz bodies or reactive leukocytosis
- I..e normocytic, normochromic cells
What is a potential consequence of longstanding chronic bleeding?
Iron deficiency anaemia
What conditions are indicated by macrocytic, normochronic red blood cells?
- FeLV
- Myeloproliferative disease
- Vit B12 and folic acid deficiency
- Chemotherapy e.g. with methotrexate
Compare the clinical signs of acute and chronic anaemia
Often absent in chronic due to adaptation
Describe the clinical signs of anaemia
- Pale mucous membranes
- Lethargy, exercise intolerance
- Tachypnoea, tachycardia (lack of oxygen dist.)
- Poor pulse quality
- Flow murmur
- Pica (esp. mineral based material)
- +/- signs related to underlying pathology e.g. splenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, pain, icterus, melaena
What does icterus suggest in anaemia?
Haemolysis
What are the main differentials for anaemia?
- Cardiovascular disease
- Liver disease