Haematology Flashcards
What do Howell-Jolly bodies suggest?
Hyposplenism/non-functioning spleen
Can occur in sickle cell disease due to splenic infarctions
What causes sickle-cell anaemia?
Autosomal recessive condition
Synthesis of an abnormal haemoglobin chain termed HbS
How can we diagnose sickle cell anaemia?
Haemoglobin electrophoresis
Is sickle cell normocytic, microcytic or macrocytic?
Normocytic
What does antiphospholipid syndrome cause?
Prolonged APTT and normal PT
Thrombocytopenia
How do we manage antiphospholipid syndrome?
Warfarin
What are the features of antiphospholipiid syndrome?
Venous/arterial thrombosis
Recurrent fetal loss
Thrombocytopenia
Prolonged APTT
What is antiphospholipid syndrome associated with?
SLE
Other autoimmune diisorders
Lymphoproliferative disorders
Does unfractionated heparin require monitoring?
Yes - APTT
Does LMWH require monitoring?
No
Clinical features of anaemia
SOB on exertion
Headaches
Tiredness
What can develop in the elderly if they have anaemia?
Congestive heart failure
Angina
Signs and anaemia
Koilonychia - Iron deficiency
Jaundice - haemolytic anaemia/megaloblastic anaemia
Investigations in anaemia
FBC
Stained blood film
Haematinics
Classification of anaemia by red cell size
Macrocytic >98
Normocytic 78-98
Microcytic <78
Macrocytic causes of anaemia
Megaloblastic
B12/folate deficiency
Normocytic causes of anaemia
Haemolytic anaemias (mostly) Anaemia of chronic disease
Microcytic causes of anaemia
Iron deficiency Thalassemias Other haemoglobin defects Congenital sideroblastic anaemia Some anaemias of chronic disease
What is anaemia of chronic disease?
A common, normocytic anaemia that occurs in patients with inflammatory or malignant disease
What might you see in haematinics in anaemia of chronic disease?
Reduced serum iron/total iron-binding capacity (transferrin)
Normal/raised ferritin
ESR/CRP usually raised
Pathophysiology of anaemia of chronic disease
Hepcidin is release by the liver in response to inflammatory cytokines
Hepcidin reduces iron absorption in gut and reduces release by macrophages into the plasma
How do we treat anaemia of chronic disease?
Treat the chronic disease Recombinant EPO (if patient has RA, malignancy)
Which protein controls serum iron levels?
Hepcidin
Causes of iron deficiency?
Blood loss
Increased demand (growth, pregnancy, prematurity)
Malabsorption (rarely main cause)
Poor dietary intake (usually not the main cause)
Signs of iron deficiency?
Koilonychia
Angular cheilitis
Glossitis
Laboratory findings in iron deficiency?
Hypochromic microcytic anaemia
Raised platelet count
Haematinics in iron deficiency?
Serum iron low
Raised transferrin
Iron binding capacity lowered
Transferrin and ferritin
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron and so is a measure of your body’s stored iron
Transferrin is the main transporter of iron in the blood
When ferritin is low your body produces more transferrin (TIBC) to allow for more iron transportion
How do we treat iron deficient anaemia?
Ferrous sulfate (iron) before meals 3 times a day
Side effects of ferrous sulfate
Abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation
What is iron overload?
This is a pathological state in which the body releases its stores of iron
It is often associated with organ dysfunction as a result of iron deposition
What causes iron overload?
Haemochromatosis (genetic) - excessive iron absorption
Excess dietary iron
Repeated blood transfusions in patients with severe refractory anaemia
Clinical features of iron overload?
Cardiomyopathy (dysrhythmias, cong. heart failure)
Growth/sexual development reduction: delayed puberty, DM, hypothyroidism
Haemosiderosis or cirrhosis (liver)
Excessive melanin pigmentation
Excessive infections
Arthropathy
Haemochromatosis
Autosomal recessive condition
Results in excessive iron absorption
Usually due to a mutation in the HFE gene
Genes coding for hepcidin affected, low production of hepcidin (protein that regulates iron absorption)
Haematinics in haemochromatosis
Raised serum iron
Raised transferrin
Raised serum ferritin
Treatment of haemochromatosis
Regular venesctions to reduce iron level to normal
What is sideroblastic anaemia?
Anaemia in which the body is unable to use iron to make RBCs (haem specifically)
Iron is instead seen in granules around the nucleus in developing erythroblasts (ringed sideroblasts)
What might you see on blood film in sideroblastic anaemia?
Hypochromic microcytic red cells
Treatment of sideroblastic anaemia
Symptomatic
Regular blood transfusion
Causes of B12 deficiency
Inadequate diet (e.g. vegans)
Malabsorption - pernicious anaemia mainly
Gastrectomy etc
What is pernicious anaemia
An autoimminune gastritis with reduced secretion of intrinsic factor and acid
Intrinsic factor is required for B12 absorption, so its reduction results in lowered B12 levels
Folate deficiency
Poor dietary intake Increased utilisation (pregnancy, severe chronic inflammatory and malignant disease)
Clinical features of B12 deficiency
Gradual onset of anaemia features Mild jaundice - caused by ineffective erythropoiesis Glossitis Angular stomatitis Peripheral symmetrical neuropathy
Laboratory findings in B12 deficiency
Macrocytic anaemia (oval macrocytes, hypersegmental neutrophils - 5+ nuclear lobes) Reduction in leucocyte and platelet count
Treatment for B12 deficiency
Hydroxycobalamin 1mg intramuscularly 2-3 daily till 6 injections given
Then hydroxycobalamin 3 monthly
How do we investigate B12 deficiency?
History
IF tests
Parietal cell antibodies (present in 90% of PA)
Serum gastrin level (raised in PA)
Clinical features of folate deficiency
Same as B12 except NO peripheral neuropathy
Treatment for folic acid deficiency
5mg folic acid daily for 4 months
Either continue weekly or daily at different doses
Other causes of macrocytosis?
Alcohol is the most common cause of large RBCs
Clinical features of haemolytic anaemias
Anaemia
Jaundice
Splenomegaly
Hereditary causes of haemolytic anaemia
Spherocytosis - red cell membrane abnormality
G6PD deficiency - enzyme abnormality
Hereditary spherocytosis
Commoner in white people
Blood film shows microspherocytes and polychromasia
Reduction in life span (this can be treated with splenectomy though)
Give prophylactic folic acid
What are pigmented gallstones associated with?
Haemolytic anaemias
G6PD deficiency
X-linked (males typically affected)
Deficiency results in rbc’s becoming particularly sensitive to oxidative stress (e.g. from infection, drugs)
More common in black, mediterranean and middle-eastern populations
G6PD deficiency blood film
Normal inbetween episodes
During crises: red cells with absent haemoglobin, polychromasia
How do we screen for G6PD deficiency
NADPH
Management of G6PD deficiency
Stop offending drugs
Treat infection
Transfuse rbc’s if needed
Splenectomy
What do thalassemias cause?
Haemolytic and microcytic anaemias
Thalassemia
Autosomal recessive conditions in which there is a reduced synthesis of alpha or beta globins
How do we treat thalassemia
Transfusions of rbc’s
Iron chelation therapy with subcut. desferrioxamine
Laboratory findings in thalassemia
Severe anaemia with reduced mcv
Hypochromic, microcytic cells, target cells, erythroblasts
What is thalassemia trait
Mild hypochromic, microcytic anaemia
Iron stores are normal
Sickle cell disease
A chronic haemolytic anaemia caused by a point mutation in beta globin gene causing glutamic acid to substitute for valine
This causes insolubility of Hb S causing sickling and vascular occlusion
Sickle cell disease features
Vaso-occlusive crisis - sickling with blockage of small vessels. Common precipitants are infection, dehydration, acidosis and deoxygenation
Visceral sequestration crisis - sickling with pooling of red cells in liver, spleen and lungs
Aplastic crisis - following infection by B19 parvovirus, causes temporary arrest of erythropoiesis
Resistance to malaria
Increased susceptibility to infection
Pigment gallstones and cholecystitis
What regular testing do you have in sickle cell?
Retinal - due to predisposition to stroke/TIAs
Laboratory features of sickle cell
Haemoglobin level 70-90
Sickle cells
Large target cells
Splenic atrophy
O2 dissociation curve in sickle cell?
Shifted to the right