Haem Flashcards
What is one key cause of recurrent VTE?
Antiphospholipid syndrome
How do DVTs present?
- Calf or leg swelling
- Dilated superficial veins
- Tenderness to the calf
- Oedema
- Colour changes to the leg
What is D-dimer useful for?
Excluding DVT if there is a low suspicion
What investigation is required to diagnose DVT?
Doppler USS
When would you repeat a negative Doppler USS for DVT?
- If a positive D-dimer and Well score suggesting DVT is likely
- Repeat 6-8 days later
What is the acute management of DVT?
- Apixaban/rivaroxaban
- LMWH is the alternative
- Consider cather-directed thrombolysis
Long term anticoagulation for VTE:
1. First line?
2. First line in pts with anti phospholipid syndrome?
3. First line in pregnancy?
- DOAC
- Warfarin
- LMWH
What is Budd-Chiari syndrome? How does it present?
Where a blood clot develops in the hepatic vein, blocking the outflow of blood. Causes acute hepatitis
Triad of;
- Abdo pain
- Hepatomegaly
- Ascites
What is the pathophysiology of myeloma?
- Myeloma is cancer of plasma cells
- Plasma cells are a type of B cell (they are found in bone marrow)
- Plasma cells produce immunoglobulins
- In myeloma a specific type of plasma cell will be affected meaning one type of immunoglobulin will be affected
- If you measure the immunoglobulins of a patient with myeloma, one will be significantly raised (normally IgG)
What are the features of myeloma?
Old CRAB
- Old age
- Calcium elevated
- Renal failure
- Anaemia
- Bone lesions
Why is anaemia a feature of myeloma?
Cancerous plasma cells invade bone marrow causing suppression of the development of other blood cells e.g. red blood cells, neutrophils and platelets
What are risk factors for myeloma?
- Older age
- Male
- Black African ethnicity
- FHx
- Obesity
What patients complaints should make you consider myeloma?
> 60 yrs
- Persistent bone pain
- Persistent back pain
- Unexplained fractures
What are initial investigations for suspected myeloma?
- FBC
- Calcium
- ESR
- Plasma viscosity
Why is plasma viscosity increased in myeloma? What does this cause?
- Plasma viscosity increases when there are more proteins in the blood
- Myeloma results in raised immunoglobulins, immunoglobulins are proteins
Increased plasma viscosity causes:
- Easy bruising
- Easy bleeding
- Vascular disease in eye -> reduced vision
- Purple discolouration to the extremities
How do you test for myeloma? What is the diagnostic test?
BLIP
- Bence-Jones protein (urine electrophoresis)
- serum-free Light-chain assay
- serum Immunoglobulins
- serum Protein electrophoresis
Bone marrow biopsy is diagnostic
What are XR features of myeloma bone disease?
- Lytic lesions
- Punched out lesions
- ‘Raindrop skull’
What is first line treatment of myeloma?
Combination chemotherapy
What is the management of myeloma bone disease?
- Bisphosphonates to suppress osteoclast activity
- Radiotherapy to bone lesions to improve bone pain
- Orthopaedic surgery to stabilise bones/treat fractures
What is the pathophysiology of lymphoma?
- Cancers that affect lymphocytes in the lymphatic system
- Cancerous cells proliferate within lymph nodes -> lymphadenopathy
What age is Hodgkin’s lymphoma more prevalent?
- Bimodal age distribution
- Peaks at 20 years and 75 years
What are risk factors for Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
- HIV
- EBV
- Autoimmune conditions e.g. RA, sarcoidosis
- FHx
How does lymphoma present?
- Non-tender lymphadenopathy
- Pain in the lymph nodes when patients drink alcohol (Hodgkin lymphoma)
- B symptoms
What is the diagnostic test for lymphoma? What is the key finding?
Lymph node biopsy showing Reed-Sternberg cells
What staging system is used for both Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins lymphoma?
Ann Arbor staging:
- Stage 1 - affected lymph nodes confined to one region
- Stage 2 - lymph nodes in more than one region but on the same side of the diaphragm
- Stage 3 - lymph nodes on both sides of diaphragm
- Stage 4 - widespread involvement including non-lymphatic organs (e.g. lungs/liver)
What is non-hodgkin lymphoma? Give 3 types?
A group of lymphomas
3 notable ones:
- Burkitt lymphoma - associated with EBV
- MALT lymphoma - associated with H pylori
- Diffuse large B cell lymphoma - older age
What is the most severe type of malaria?
Disease caused by plasmodium falciparum protozoa
How does malaria present?
- Fevers, sweats and rigors
- Vomiting
- Headache
- Pallor due to anaemia
- Hepatosplenomegaly
- Jaundice
How is malaria diagnosed?
- Malaria blood film
- Can be excluded after 3 -ve samples sent over 3 consecutive days
What is the first line treatment of uncomplicated malaria?
Artemether with lumefantrine
What is the treatment of severe malaria?
- IV artesunate
- IV quinine dihydrochloride
What is leukaemia a cancer of?
A particular line of stem cells in the bone marrow -> myeloid or lymphoid
What is the affect of leukaemia on other blood cells in the bone marrow?
Pancytopenia due to excessive production of a single type of cell
- Anaemia
- Leukopenia
- Thrombocytopenia
What age groups correlate with the different types of leukaemia?
ALL CeLLmates have CoMon AMbitions
Under 5 and over 45 - ALL
Over 55 - CLL
Over 65 - CML
Over 75 - AML
How does leukaemia present?
- Non specific - fever, fatigue
- Signs/symptoms related to pancytopenia
What is the diagnostic test for leukaemia?
Bone marrow biopsy
What type of leukaemia can transform to high grade lymphoma? What is this called?
CLL
What type of leukaemia shows smear or smudge cells on blood film?
CLL
Which types of leukaemia are associated with the Philadelphia chromosome?
- ALL
- CML
What is the most common type of leukaemia in adults?
CLL