Haematology Flashcards
How is anaemia defined?
- lower than normal concentration of haemoglobin/RBCs
- Hb <130 in men
- Hb <120 in women
What are the different types of anaemia?
- haemolytic = increased breakdown of RBCs
- aplastic = decreased RBC, WBC, platelets
- microcytic = reduced MCV
- macrocytic = raised MCV
- normocytic = normal MCV
What is MCV?
mean corpuscular volume
- average size of RBCs
General symptoms of anaemia
- fatigue
- headache
- dizziness
- dyspnoea esp on exertion
General signs of anaemia
- tachycardia
- skin pallor
- conjunctiva pallor
- intermittent claudication
What are signs of iron deficiency?
- koilonychia = spoon-shaped nails
- angular stomatitis
What are signs of B12 deficiency?
- angular stomatitis
- lemon-yellow skin
What are signs of haemolytic anaemia?
- jaundice
- dark urine
What are the causes of microcytic anaemia?
- iron deficiency
- anaemia of chronic disease
- sickle cell
- thalassemia
- sideroblastic anaemia
Investigations for iron deficiency microcytic anaemia
FBC → low Hb/MCV
Iron studies
blood film → small, hypochromic cells
Causes of iron deficiency microcytic anaemia
reduced absorption
- low intake
- malabsorption
- drugs eg PPIs and tetracyclines
increased utilisation → pregnancy
blood loss
- stools
- urine
- trauma
- surgery
- menorrhagia
Investigations for chronic disease microcytic anaemia
FBC
- low Hb
- low/normal MCV
- high ESR
Iron studies
Causes of chronic disease microcytic anaemia
- chronic infection
- chronic inflammation → connective tissue diseases
- neoplasia
What is thalassemia?
- inherited alpha or beta globin mutations
- varied presentation
- generally microcytic, hypochromic cells
What is sideroblastic anaemia?
- iron levels normal
- body cannot insert iron into Hb
- microcytic
- increased iron, transferrin, ferratin
- ringed sideroblasts on blood film
Causes of normocytic anaemia
- acute blood loss
- bone marrow failure
- pregnancy
- haemolytic anaemia
Presentation of haemolytic anaemia
- jaundice
- dark urine
Investigations for haemolytic anaemia
- raised reticulocytes (chronic)
- raised bilirubin
- raised urobilinogen
- schistocytes on blood film
Causes of haemolytic anaemia
- autoimmune
- sepsis
- DIC
- sickle cell
- thalassemia
What is the main cause of macrocytic anaemia?
B12 deficiency
Causes of B12 deficiency in macrocytic anaemia
- pernicious anaemia
- malabsorption → coeliac, IBD, bowel resection, ileostomy
- decreased dietary intake
- chronic NO use
Investigations for B12 deficiency in macrocytic anaemia
bloods
- raised MCV
- low Hb, B12
Signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency in macrocytic anaemia
- general anaemia presentation
- range of neurological symptoms
presents as megaloblastic anaemia
- cell changes on blood smear
- oval shaped RBCs
- hypersegmented neutrophils
Causes of macrocytic anaemia
- B12 deficiency
- diseases of the liver and spleen
- haematological malignancy
- alcohol → chronic consumption affects bone marrow
What is neutrophilia?
too many neutrophils
causes
- infection
- inflammation
- CML
What is neutropenia?
not enough neutrophils
causes
- Abs
- chemo
- marrow failure
- liver disease
What is thrombocytosis?
too many platelets
causes
- infection
- inflammation
- tissue injury
- splenectomy
- essential thrombocythemia
What is thrombocytopenia?
not enough platelets
causes
- production failure → marrow failure, congenital
- increased removal → ITP, TTP, DIC
What is lymphocytosis?
too many lymphocytes
causes
- EBV
- cytomegalovirus
- hepatitis
- malignancy → CLL, ALL, lymphoma
- stress
What is lymphocytopenia?
not enough lymphocytes
causes
- steroids
- HIV
- post viral
- marrow failure
- chemo
What is haemostasis?
process that stops bleeding
primary haemostasis
- initiation and formation of platelet plug
- platelet activation
secondary haemostasis
- formation of fibrin clot
- intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation cascade
What are the effects of platelet activation?
- platelet shape change
- dense granule release
- alpha granule release
Inheritance of sickle cell
- autosomal recessive
- gene on Cr11 → glutamic acid substitution with valine → B-globin polymerisation
What is sickle cell disease
- sickled cells
- endothelial damage
- reduced O2 carrying capacity