Haematology Flashcards
What is HIV?
- HIV is a retrovirus (RNA virus) which infects CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells of the immune system.
- HIV-1 is the most common and virulent.
- HIV-2 is localised to West Africa
- There are 40 million cases worldwide.
- 30% are women in the UK, 70% are men.
Name 3 ways in which HIV can be transmitted?
- Sexual:in most cases, HIV is transmitted sexually. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at particular risk.
- Parenteral:via needlestick or needle sharing.
- Vertical:via breastfeeding or vaginal delivery.
What are some risk factors for HIV infection?
- Regular intercourse with known HIV carrier.
- Unprotected anal intercourse: 1% risk for the receptive partner
- Unprotected vaginal intercourse: 0.1% - woman and 0.05% - men
- Co-infection with a different STI: e.g. gonorrhoea increases the risk
- Needlestick - 0.3% risk
- Needle sharing - IV drug users
- Blood transfusion
- Vertical transmission
What are the signs of acute infection with HIV?
Asymptomaticorflu-like illness, characterised by:
- Malaise
- Fever
- Lymphadenopathy
- Sore throat
- Maculopapular rash
- Diarrhoea
- Ulcers
What are the signs of clinical latency infection with HIV?
May be asymptomatic or present with non-AIDS defining illnesses:
- Fever
- Persistent lymphadenopathy
- Opportunistic infections, e.g. thrush
What are the investigations for HIV?
- Diagnostic combined HIV antibody and p24 antigen test: ELISAto detect antibodies against HIV-1 and HIV-2,andto detect the p24 antigen (capsid protein)
- May give afalse negativeif less than 4 weeks post-infection as antibody production is yet to occur. P24 antigen is present prior to the HIV antibody. Negative result requires repeat testing at 12 weeks.
- Confirmatory testing: if initial diagnostic test is positive. Either:
- Repeat the combined HIV antibody and p24 antigen test OR
- Western blot: detects the p24 antigen, as well as gp120 and gp41 antibodies
How would you monitor HIV? What is AIDS
- CD4 T-cell count:indicates immune status, with CD4 < 200/mm^3 defining AIDS
- Viral load (HIV RNA):can be used for diagnosis, and the result is often in the millions in early infection. It is used for monitoring and response to antiretroviral therapy.
Name some AIDS defining clinical manifestations of HIV with a CD4 count of 200-500/mm3?
- Herpes Simplex -> Chronic Ulcers.
- Pulmonary Tuberculosis Reactivation -> Haemoptysis, night sweats, weight loss.
- Kaposi sarcoma -> Vascular proliferation of the skin.
- Invasive cervical cancer -> increased risk of HPV infection.
Name some AIDS defining clinical manifestations of HIV with a CD4 count of 100-200/mm3?
- Pneumocystis pneumonia -> most common cause of death.
- Cryptosporidiosis -> red cyst visible visible during staining.
- Histoplasmosis pneumonia -> disseminated or extrapulmonary
- JC Virus infection -> confusion, loss of co-ordination, weakness, seizures.
- HIV encephalopathy -> HIV associated dementia (memory problems and cognitive impairment)
Name some AIDS defining clinical manifestations of HIV with a CD4 count of 50-100/mm3?
- Toxoplasmosis -> fever, lymphadenopathy, seizures. Parasite spread by cat faeces.
- Oesophagitis (candida, HSV, CMV) -> odynophagia.
Name some AIDS defining clinical manifestations of HIV with a CD4 count of <50 /mm3?
- CMV retinitis/coilitis -> visual loss/diarrhoea
- Cryptococcal meningitis -> fever, headache, meningism
- Mycobacterium avium complex -> cough, fever, abdominal pain, lymphadenopathy.
- CNS lymphoma -> increased risk of EBV associated primary CNS lympoma.
What are some other non-AIDS defining opportunist infections?
- Aspergillosis -> respiratory fungal infection
- Hairy leucoplakia -> white hairy patch on the side of the tongue
- Shingles -> blistering rash caused by herpes zoster.
- Oral candidiasis -> white spots in the mouth
What are some complications of HIV infection and HIV therapy?
- Opportunistic infections e.g. AIDS-defining illness
- Drug side effects
- Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS):as the immune system begins to recover with ART, T cells mount an aggressive immune response against previously acquired infections, thus causing a paradoxical worsening of symptoms
What is the management for patients with HIV?
- All patients with HIV, regardless of CD4 count, should commence antiretroviral therapy (ART): aimed atmaximally suppressingthe HIV virus,stopping the progressionof HIV disease andpreventing onward transmissionof HIV.Treatment aims to achieve a normal CD4 count and undetectable viral load. ‘Undetectable = Untransmittable’ (U=U)
- 2 nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI)and
- Athird agent:usually a protease inhibitor, integrase inhibitor, or non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)
What is AML?
- Acute Myeloid Leukaemia involves the uncontrolled proliferation of myeloblasts.
- The most common acute leukaemia in adults >75 years old.
What is the pathology behind acute promyelocytic leukaemia (M3)?
- A t(15;17)translocation involves the fusion of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) with promyelocytic protein (PML), blocking maturation of myeloblasts causing promyelocyte accumulation
- Abnormal promyelocytes release granules which can cause thrombocytopaenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC)
What is the pathology behind acute monocytic leukaemia (M5)?
- Characterised by monoblast accumulation and usually lack Auer rods
- Results in gum infiltration
What are some risk factors for AML?
- Increasing age
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Myeloproliferative neoplasm
- Down syndrome
- Previous chemotherapy / radiation exposure
- Benzene exposure
What are the signs of AML?
- Pallor
- Lymphadenopathy
- Hepatosplenomegaly
What are the symptoms of AML?
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Bruising and mucosal bleeding: due to thrombocytopaenia
- Recurrent infections: due to leukopaenia
- Pain and tenderness in the bones can occur when there’s increased cell production which causes the bone marrow to expand.
- Abdominal fullness: due to hepatosplenomegaly
- Localised pain in lymph nodes: due to lymphadenopathy
- Gingival swelling: swollen gums seen in acute monocytic leukaemia
What are the primary investigations for AML?
- FBC:leukocytosis, thrombocytopaenia and anaemia with a low reticulocyte count. Neutropenia may be present.
- Blood film:high proportion of blast cells seen. Myeloblasts are usually seen as large cells with nuclei containing fine chromatin and prominent nucleoli, with Auer rods
- Clotting screen:DIC
- Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy:≥20% myeloblasts isdiagnostic
- Cytogenetic and molecular studies:identify specific translocations, e.g. t(15;17) RAR-PML.
What other investigations should be considered for AML?
- Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH): often raised in leukaemia but is not specific to leukaemia.
- Lumbar puncture may be used if there is central nervous system involvement.
- Lymph node biopsy can be used to assess lymph node involvement or investigate for lymphoma.
What are some differential diagnoses for AML?
- Differentials for bleeding and bruising:
- Meningococcal septicaemia
- Vasculitis
- Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP)
- Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP)
- Non-accidental injury
What is the aim of management in leukaemia?
The aim of treatment is to induce clinical and haematological remission (< 5% blast cells)
How would you treat AML?
- Chemotherapy: combination of cytarabine and an anthracycline, such as daunorubicin
- All-trans retinoic acid(ATRA; tretinoin) is added in acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APML). ATRA binds RAR on promyelocytic cells and causes the blasts to mature into neutrophils, which eventually go on to die.
- Patients who are high risk may receive stem cell transplantation for consolidation.
What are some complications of AML chemotherapy?
- Myelosuppression and neutropenic sepsis.
- Tumour lysis syndrome.
- Infections due to immunodeficiency
- Neurotoxicity
- Infertility
- Secondary malignancy
- Cardiotoxicity
What are some complications due to AML itself?
- Myelosuppression and neutropenic sepsis.
- Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
- Extramedullary involvement
What is the standard age of a patient who is diagnosed with AML?
AML is generally a disease of older people and is uncommon before the age of 45.
What is ALL?
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia involves the uncontrolled proliferation of lymphoblasts, most commonly of the B cell lineage.
What is the standard age of a patient who is diagnosed with ALL?
- ALL is the most common childhood malignancy → 75% of cases occur before 6 years old.
- Bimodial age distribution → one peak at 4-5 years old and a second peak after the age of 50.
What are the 4 different types of B cell ALL?
- Pro B ALL
- Common ALL
- Precursor ALL
- Mature B-ALL
What are the 3 different types of T cell ALL?
- Pro-T ALL
- Intermediate-T ALL
- Mature-T ALL
What are some risk factors for ALL?
- Previous chemotherapy
- Radiation exposure
- Down syndrome:20-fold increased risk
- Benzene exposure: painters, petroleum, rubber manufacturers
- Family history: there is some evidence of genetic predisposition
What are the signs of ALL?
- Lymphadenopathy
- Hepatosplenomegaly
- Pallor
- Flow murmur: due to anaemia
- Parotid infilitration
- Thymus enlargement in T-ALL: mass or growth in the mediastinum
- Testicular swelling: due to testicular involvement
- CNS involvement: e.g. meningism and cranial nerve palsies
What are the symptoms of ALL?
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Easy bruising, prolonged bleeding and mucosal bleeding: due to thrombocytopaenia
- Recurrent infections: due to neutropoenia
- Bone pain: due to bone marrow infiltration
- Fever
- Failure to thrive (children)
- Abdominal fullness: due to hepatosplenomegaly
- Localised pain in lymph nodes: due to lymphadenopathy
What are the primary investigations of ALL?
- FBC:lymphocytosis, thrombocytopenia and normocytic anaemia with a low reticulocyte count
- Blood film:lymphoblasts - relatively small cells with coarse chromatin, which are clumped together and have small nucleoli. They have very little cytoplasm, which has glycogen granules.
- Bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy:≥ 20% lymphoblasts isdiagnostic
- Immunophenotyping
- Cytogenetic and molecular studies:can identify specific translocations, e.g. t(12;21) or t(9;22)
What other investigations can be done for ALL?
- Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) often raised in leukaemia but is not specific to leukaemia.
- Chest X-ray:may be used to identify a mediastinal mass, e.g. thymus mass
- Lumbar puncture:may be indicated to identify CNS involvement
- Lymph node biopsycan be used to assess lymph node involvement or investigate for lymphoma.
- CT,MRIandPETscans can be used for staging and assessing for lymphoma and other tumours.
What are some differential diagnoses for ALL?
- Differential diagnosis for bleeding and bruising:
- Meningococcal septicaemia
- Vasculitis
- Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP)
- Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP)
- Non-accidental injury
What is the first line pre-phase treatment for ALL?
- 5 - 7 daysof treatment shortly after diagnosis
- Treat withcorticosteroids, with or without an additionalchemotherapyagent
What is the first line induction treatment for ALL?
- 4 - 8 weektherapy, e.g.corticosteroids,vincristine or doxorubicin(chemotherapy)
- Imatinibcan be used in addition if Philadelphia chromosome-positive
- Intrathecal therapy (administration into CSF) can be used if there is CNS involvement
- The aim of treatment is to induce remission, defined as < 5% blast cells in bone marrow
What is the first line consolidation therapy for ALL?
- Up to1 yearof high-dosechemotherapy, which is started after complete remission
- The aim of treatment is to eliminate clinically undetectable residual leukaemia, hence preventing relapse
What is the first line maintenance therapy for ALL?
- 2 years of mercaptopurine and methotrexate therapy
- The aim of treatment is to eliminate minimal residual disease (leukemic cells not present on microscopy but cell surface markers still present)
What is the second line treatment for ALL?
Bone marrow transplantation: may be used as consolidation therapy in people at high risk of relapse, or for treating relapse when it occurs
What are some complications of ALL due to the chemotherapy?
- Myelosuppression and neutropenic sepsis.
- Tumour lysis syndrome.
- Infections due to immunodeficiency
- Neurotoxicity
- Infertility
- Secondary malignancy
- Cardiotoxicity
- Stunted growth and development in children
What are some complications of ALL due to the disease iteself?
- Myelosuppression and neutropenic sepsis
- Infertility
- Extramedullary involvement:CNS, testicular, and renal involvement
What is CML?
Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) involves the uncontrolled proliferation of partially mature myeloid cells, in particular granulocytes, within the bone marrow of the blood.
What is the standard age of a patient who is diagnosed with CML?
CML is generally considered a condition of the elderly, with a peak age of diagnosis between 65 and 74 years old.
What is the chronic phase of CML?
- Lasts may years and may be asymptomatic, or with non-specific symptoms such as fever, weight loss, and splenomegaly.
- Characterised by < 10% blast cells.
What is the accelerated phase of CML?
It is further progression of the disease and characterised by 10-19% blast cells and > 20% basophils.
What is the blast crisis phase of CML?
- Terminal phase and mimics acute leukaemia.
- Subtype: myeloid blast crisis (2/3) or lymphoid blast crisis (1/3).
- > 20% blasts cells.
What are the risk factors of CML?
- Being male
- Radiation exposure
What are the signs of CML?
- Hepatosplenomegaly
- Abdominal tenderness
- Pallor
- Pyrexia
What investigations should be done for CML?
- FBC:leukocytosis, granulocytosis, anaemia with a reduced reticulocyte count, and reduced leukocyte ALP may be seen. Thrombocytosis is found in 30% of patients.
- Blood film:anincrease in all stages of maturing granulocytes. Precise findings depend on the disease phase (e.g. blast transformation)
- Bone marrow biopsy:myeloblast infiltration in the bone marrow
- Cytogenetic and molecular studies:Philadelphia chromosome t(9;22)(q34;q11)
- Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) often raised in leukaemia but is not specific to leukaemia.
What are the symptoms of CML?
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Shortness of breath
- Easy bruising and bleeding, e.g. epistaxis: due to thrombocytopenia
- Recurrent infections: due to leukopenia
- Bone pain: due to marrow expansion
- Abdominal fullness: due to hepatosplenomegaly
What are the differential diagnoses of CML?
- Differential diagnosis of bleeding and bruising:
- Meningococcal septicaemia
- Vasculitis
- Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP)
- Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP)
- Non-accidental injury
What is the management for CML in the chronic or accelerated phase?
- Tyrosine kinase inhibitor:imatinib is generally considered first-line
- Hydroxyurea may be used prior to confirmation of the BCR–ABL1 fusion, following which patients are then switched to a tyrosine kinase inhibitor!
- Tyrosine kinase inhibitor may be combined with interferon-alpha if required
- High dose induction chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation if the above fails
What is the management for CML in the blast phase?
- Tyrosine kinase inhibitor plus high dose induction chemotherapy, followed bystem cell transplantation
- Patients may have pancytopaenia requiring blood and platelet transfusion
- If remission is not achieved through the above measures, death is imminent
What are the complications of CML secondary to chemotherapy?
- Myelosuppression and neutropenic sepsis. Management will require broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as tazocin, and isolation.
- Gout
- Tumour lysis syndrome
- Infections due to immunodeficiency
- Neurotoxicity
- Infertility
- Secondary malignancy
- Cardiotoxicity
What are the complications of CML due to the disease itself?
- Myelosuppression and neutropaenic sepsis:lymphoblasts invade the bone marrow, disrupting function.
- Predisposition to infection
- Blast crisis:conversion to acute leukaemia and seen in the terminal phase of CML. May result in pancytopaenia
What is CLL?
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) describes the neoplastic proliferation of mature B lympocytes.
What is the standard age of a patient who is diagnosed with CLL?
- Usually affects adults over 55 years old.
What are the risk factors for CLL?
- Age → median age of diagnosis is 70.
- Family history.
- Males are twice as likely to get it.
What are the signs of CLL?
- Lymphadenopathy
- Hepatosplenomegaly: neoplastic cells invade the liver and spleen
- Pallor
What are the symptoms for CLL?
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Easy bruising and bleeding: due to thrombocytopaenia
- Recurrent infections: due to hypogammaglobulinaemia
- Abdominal fullness: due to hepatosplenomegaly
- Localised pain at lymph nodes: due to lymphadenopathy
What are the primary investigations for CLL?
- FBC:lymphocytosis
- Thrombocytopaenia and anaemia may also be seen as leukaemic cells infiltrate the bone marrow
- Blood film:increased number of premature lymphocytes andsmudge cells (immature B cells that have broken during the smear).
- Immunophenotype:CD5, CD19, CD20, CD23
- Immunoglobulins:hypogammaglobulinemia
- Genetic analysis:identify chromosomal deletions, e.g. del 17p, which helps guide treatment
What other investigations can be done for CLL?
- Bone marrow biopsy:increased number of mature lymphocytes and few immature cells. Not necessary for a diagnosis
- Lymph node biopsy:conduct if lymphadenopathy is present
- Chest x-ray may show infection or mediastinal lymphadenopathy
- CT, MRI and PET scans can be used for staging and assessing for lymphoma and other tumours
- Coombs’ test:also known as the direct antiglobulin test (DAT). Conducted if an autoimmune haemolytic anaemia is suspected
- Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) often raised in leukaemia but is not specific to leukaemia
What are the differential diagnoses for CLL?
- Differential diagnosis of bleeding and bruising:
- Meningococcal septicaemia
- Vasculitis
- Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP)
- Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP)
- Non-accidental injury
What is the management for CLL during the early stages of disease?
- Monitor:blood counts and clinical examinations carried out every 3-12 months
- Evidence shows chemotherapy in early-stage disease does not confer a survival advantage
What is the management for CLL during the active/advanced stage of disease?
- FCR:fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab are used in patients with good performance status
- Chlorambucil and rituximab:used in patients with poor performance status
- Other chemotherapeutic agents:tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as ibrutinib, are considered in those with del(17p)
- Allogenic stem cell transplant:considered in a specific subset of patients with a good performance status
What are the complications of CLL due to chemotherapy?
- Myelosuppression and neutropenic sepsis
- Gout
- Tumour lysis syndrome
- Infections due to immunodeficiency
- Neurotoxicity
- Infertility
- Secondary malignancy
- Cardiotoxicity
What are the complications of CLL due to the disease itself?
- Hypogammaglobulinemia
- Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia
- Richter transformation
What is multiple myeloma?
- Myeloma describes the malignant monoclonal proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow, resulting in the production of various types of monoclonal proteins, most commonly immunoglobulins (usually IgG and IgA) and free light chains.
- Multiple myeloma is where the myeloma affects multiple areas of the body.
What are the risk factors for multiple myeloma?
- Increasing age: the incidence rises steeply from around age 65 to 69
- Monoclonal gammopathy of uncertain significance (MGUS)
- Smouldering myeloma
- Family history
- Male
- Black African ethnicity
- Radiation exposure
What are the signs of multiple myeloma?
- Pallor: due to anaemia
- Signs due toamyloidosis:
- Macroglossia
- Carpal tunnel syndrome: Tinel’s and Phalen’s sign positive
- Peripheral neuropathy
What are the symptoms of multiple myeloma?
- Related tohypercalcaemia:
- Bones: bony pain with back pain being common
- Stones: renal stones and renal colic
- Abdominal groans: abdominal pain and constipation
- Thrones: urinary frequency
- Psychiatric overtones: confusion, depression, psychosis
- Related to anaemia:
- Fatigue
- Related tothrombocytopaenia:
- Bleeding and bruising
- Related to areduction in normal immunoglobulins:
- Recurrent infections
What are the investigations for multiple myeloma?
- Urine electrophoresis:Bence-Jones proteins, which are immunoglobulin (monoclonal) light chains
- Serum electrophoresis:paraprotein band, or ‘M’ spike (usually IgG or IgA)
- Bone marrow aspirate and trephine biopsy:≥ 10% plasma cell infiltration.
- FBC and blood film:anaemia due to disrupted erythropoiesis.
- U&Es:renal failure
- Bone profile:hypercalcaemia and raised ALP
- Beta-2-microglobulin:a higher concentration is associated with poorer prognosis
- Imaging: conducted to ascertain bone marrow infiltrative lesions
- MRI (first line), CT (second line)
- Skeletal survey
- X-Rays - raindrop skull
What is the diagnostic criteria for multiple myeloma?
Bone marrow plasma cells ≥ 10% (or biopsy-proven bony / extramedullary plasmacytoma) AND a myeloma-defining event:
- bone marrow plasma cells >60%
- >1 focal lesion on MRI
- involved:uninvolved serum free light chain ratio >100.
OR
Evidence of end-organ damage CRAB mnemonic.
What is the CRAB mnemonic?
Used for end-organ damage.
C - HyperCalcemia
R - Renal insufficiency
A - Anaemia
B - Bone lesions
What are the differential diagnoses for multiple myeloma?
- MGUS
- Smouldering myeloma
- Solitary plastocytoma
- Amyloidosis
What is the induction therapy management for multiple myeloma?
- Patients with good performance status and < 70 years:bortezomib and dexamethasone +/- thalidomide, followed by stem cell transplantation. This is followed by maintenance therapy
- Patients with poor performance status and > 70 years:bortezomib, prednisolone, and melphalan (an alkylating agent)
What is the monitoring management for multiple myeloma?
- Repeat blood tests, including serum and urine electrophoresis, every 2-3 months
- Bortezomib monotherapyis recommended first-line following a first relapse
- Certain patients may be suitable for a second autologous stem cell transplant, if required
What other management can be given for multiple myeloma?
- Bisphosphonates: zoledronate is first-line and started on all patients to protect against bone disease
- Radiotherapy: to bone lesions can improve bone pain
- Orthopaedic surgery:can stabilise bones or treat fractures
- Cement augmentation:involves injecting cement intovertebral fracturesorlesionsand can improve spine stability and pain
- Anaemia may require transfusion of RBCs and erythropoietin
- Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis: with aspirin or low molecular weight heparin whilst on certain chemotherapy regimes
What are some complications of multiple myeloma?
- Myelosuppression and neutropenic sepsis
- Recurrent infections
- Pancytopenia
- Fatigue
- AL amyloidosis
- Plasmacytoma
- Pathological fracture
- Renal failure
- Hyperviscosity
- Chronic pain
What is PCV?
Polycythaemia Vera (PCV) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterised by neoplasia of mature myeloid cells, in particular those involved in the red cell lineage, within the bone marrow.
What is the JAK2 +ve criteria for PCV?
- Raised haematocrit (>0.52 in men, >0.48 in women) OR raised red cell mass (>25% above predicted)
- Mutation in JAK2
What are the risk factors for PCV?
- Age > 40 years
- Family history
- Slightly more common in men
What are the signs of PCV?
- Splenomegaly: because the excess red blood cells buildup in the spleen, which usually helps with removing excess cells.
- Conjunctival plethora (excessive redness to the conjunctiva in the eyes)
- Plethoric appearance
- Palmar erythema
- Hypertension
What are the symptoms of PCV?
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Blurred vision
- Increased sweating
- Facial flushing
- Pruritus: characteristically exacerbated by hot water, such as after a bath. This is due to the increased number of basophils and mast cells which contain histamine.
- Erythromelalgia: pain, redness and swelling especially in the hands and feet
What are the primary investigations for PCV?
- FBC
- U&Es
- LFTs
- ABG
- Ferratin
- Erythropoietin
- JAK2 V617F mutation
- Bone marrow biopsy
What are some investigations to consider if a patient is JAK2 negative for PCV?
- Red cell mass
- Abdominal ultrasound
- If EPO is normal or low:JAK2 exon 12 analysisandbone marrow biopsy
- If EPO is high: further imaging (e.g. CT head and neck) to exclude a rare tumour
- ESR
- Leukocyte ALP
What is the management for PCV?
- Venesection (first line)
- Hydroxycarbamide (hydroxyurea): the first-line cytoreductive agent
- Aspirin
- Ruxolitinib (JAK2 inhibitor)
- Radioactive phosphorus-32 - less commonly used
- Modifiable risk factors management
What are the complications of PCV?
- Thrombosis
- Haemorrhage
- Gout / Kidney stones
- Leukaemia
- Myelofibrosis
What is lymphoma?
Lymphoma is an uncontrolled myeloproliferative disorder of B cells, which can be subdivided into Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.
What is the difference between Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
The difference is the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells in Hodgkin Lymphoma.
How does lymphoma differ from leukaemia?
Lymphoma differs from leukaemia in that neoplastic cells predominantly involve the lymph nodes and extra-nodal sites, unlike leukaemia which predominantly involves the bone marrow and blood.
What are the risk factors for Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Bimodal age distribution: 15-35 years and > 60 years
- EBV infection: mixed cellularity subtype
- HIV infection:lymphocyte-deplete subtype
- Autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and sarcoidosis
- Family history
- Gender - Male > Female
What are the signs of Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Lymphadenopathy (may be cervical, axillary, or inguinal)
- Painless
- Hard
- Rubbery
- Fixed
- Contiguous spread (to nearby nodes) unlike in NHL
- Splenomegaly: rarer compared to NHL
What are the symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma?
- B symptoms: occur in around 30% of cases
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Night sweats
- Pel-Ebstein fever: an intermittent fever every few weeks
- Alcohol-induced lymph node pain
- Pruritus
- Dyspnoea: due to mediastinal lymphadenopathy
What are the investigations for suspected Hodgkin lymphoma?
- FBC
- LDH
- Ultrasound of lymph nodes
- Excisional lymph node biopsy
- Staging imaging (CXR, CT, PET)
- Immunophenotyping
What is the management for Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Depends on stage, severity, age etc
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy: usually administered after completing a number of cycles of chemotherapy
- Rituximab: monoclonal antibody targets CD20 on lymphocytes and is used in CD20+ lymphoma, i.e. nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL (atypical). It is often used alongside chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy
What are some complications for Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Myelosuppression and neutropenic sepsis
- Tumour lysis syndrome
- Impaired immunity
What are the risk factors for non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Age:>50 years
- Male
- Family history
- Infection: HIV, HTLV-1, EBV, H. pylori, Hep B and C
- Autoimmunity:Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Sjogren’s syndrome are implicated in marginal zone lymphoma
- Immunodeficiency:HIV as well as hereditary immunodeficiency syndromes, e.g. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
- Exposure to pesticides and a specific chemical called trichloroethylene used in several industrial processes
What are the signs of non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Lymphadenopathy
- Painless
- Hard
- Rubbery
- Fixed
- Non-contiguous spread unlike in HL
- Splenomegaly: more common in NHL compared to HL
- Extra-nodal disease: bone marrow, thyroid, salivary gland, GI tract, CNS
What are the symptoms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
- B symptoms:
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Night sweats
- Related to extra-nodal involvement:
- GI tract: bowel obstruction
- Bone marrow: fatigue, easy bruising, or recurrent infections
- Spinal cord: weakness and a loss of sensation - usually in the legs
What are the primary investigations for non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
- FBC
- Blood film
- LDH and Uric acid
- Ultrasound of lymph nodes
- Excisional lymph node biopsy
- Skin biopsy
- Bone marrow biopsy
What other investigations should be considered for non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Staging imaging (CT, PET)
- Genetic testing
- Immunophenotyping
What is the management for non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Chemotherapy e.g. RCHOP, R-CVP, RCODOX-M
- Radiotherapy
- Rituximab: monoclonal antibody targets CD20 on lymphocytes and is used in CD20+ lymphoma
- Stem cell transplant
- Antibiotics, if any infection e.g. H.pylori eradication in gastric MALToma
What are the complications of non-Hodgkin lymphoma?
- Myelosuppression and neutropenic sepsis
- Tumour lysis syndrome
- Impaired immunity