HAEMATOLOGY Flashcards
What are the possible causes of ALL?
- genetic abnormalities, including the occurrence of a Philadelphia chromosome caused by the t(9;22) translocation.
- radiation exposure
- viral infections
- smoking
- folate metabolism polymorphisms.
Where are the sanctuary sites in ALL?
Testicles and CNS
Which population are most commonly affected by ALL?
children under 6 years of age
What are the features of anaemia seen in ALL?
- Pallor
- Fatigue.
- Dizziness.
- Palpitations.
- Dyspnoea.
What are the thrombocytopenia features seen in ALL?
- Epistaxis.
- Menorrhagia.
- Ecchymosis
- Petechiae
What are the features of bone marrow infiltration seen in ALL?
- Anaemia
- neutropenia causing recurrent infection
- thrombocytopenia
- Bone pain
What are the features of reticula-endothelial infiltration seen in ALL?
- Hepatomegaly
- Splenomegaly
- Lymphadenopathy
What are the CNS features of ALL?
- Headaches, vomiting, nerve palsies
What are the FBC findings in ALL?
- Anaemia
- Leucocytosis
- Neutropenia
- Thrombocytopenia.
What are the findings on a metabolic panel in ALL?
- Elevated calcium
- Elevated potassium
- Elevated uric acid
- Elevated lactic dehydrogenase.
What are the findings on a blood film in ALL?
-Leukaemic blast cells.
What are the findings on bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy?
- Hypercellularity
- Infiltration by leukaemic blast cells.
What is the management of ALL?
- Induction therapy with steroids or an aspiraginase
- consolidation therapy with maintenance chemotherapy (teniposide and mercaptopurine and methotrexate) if there is no high risk of relapse.
- if high risk of relapse offer additional stem cell transplant
- salvage chemotherapy for relapse or refractory disease
What are the poor prognostic factors in ALL?
- Male sex.
- WBC level greater than 30 x 109/L at presentation.
- Philadelphia chromosome.
- CNS involvement.
What is tumour lysis syndrome?
-an oncological emergency characterised by metabolic and electrolyte abnormalities that can occur after the initiation of cancer treatment.
What causes tumour lysis syndrome?
-rapid breakdown of large numbers of cancer cells, and subsequent release of large amounts of intracellular content into the bloodstream
What are the biochemical features of tumour lysis syndrome?
- hyperuricaemia
- hyperkalaemia
- hyperphosphataemia
- hypocalcaemia.
Which population are most commonly affected by AML?
- over 60s
- Down syndrome
what are the clinical features of AML?
- Pallor.
- Ecchymoses or petechia.
- Fatigue.
- Palpitations.
- Dyspnoea.
- Infections or fever.
- Lymphadenopathy.
- Hepatosplenomegaly.
- Mucosal bleeding.
What is seen on FBC in AML?
- Anaemia
- Leucocytosis
- Neutropenia
- Thrombocytopenia.
What is seen on blood film in AML?
- Myeloid blast cells
- Auer rods
- Bi-lobed nuclei in AMPL
What is seen on metabolic panel in AML?
- Elevated calcium
- Elevated potassium
- Elevated uric acid
- Elevated lactic dehydrogenase.
What is seen on bone marrow biopsy in AML?
- Hypercellularity
- Myeloid blast cells
What is the management of AML?
- Offer induction chemotherapy (cytarabine and idarubicin).
- Offer higher dose cytarabine for relapsed AML.
What is the management of APML?
- Offer induction chemotherapy (tretinoin [ATRA] and idarubicin).
- Offer arsenic trioxide for relapsed or refractory AMPL.
How is tumour lysis syndrome managed?
- Hydration
- Allopurinol
What is the name of the process by which CLL becomes diffuse large B cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
-Richter’s transformation
Which population are most affected by CLL?
-It most commonly occurs in older people with a median age of 70.
What are the clinical features of CLL?
- Most cases are diagnosed as incidental findings on routine FBC and are therefore asymptomatic.
- Shortness of breath and fatigue.
- Lymphadenopathy.
- Splenomegaly.
- B symptoms (fever, chills, night sweats, weight loss, fatigue).
- Hepatomegaly.
- Petechia.
- Recurrent infections.
What is seen on FBC in CLL?
- Elevated WCC greater than 5 x 109/L.
What is seen on blood film in CLL?
- Small B-lymphocytes
- Smudge cells
- Spherocytes if active haemolysis.
What is stage 0 of the Rai staging system?
-lymphocytosis
What is stage 1 of the Rai staging system?
-Lymphocytosis + lymphadenopathy
What is stage 2 of the Rai staging system?
-Lymphocytosis + hepatosplenomegaly.
What is stage 3 of the Rai staging system?
-Lymphocytosis + Anaemia.
What is stage 4 of the Rai staging system?
-Lymphocytosis + Thrombocytopenia.
How is CLL managed?
-Asymptomatic patients with early stage CLL (Rai 0 - 2) do not require immediate treatment, close observation is recommended.
- For advanced disease (Rai 3 - 4) without 17p/p53 mutation:
- Initially offer FCR chemoimmunotherapy.
- Offer ibrutinib and adjunct stem cell transplantation for early relapse or refractory disease.
- For advanced disease (Rai 3 - 4) without 17p/p53 mutation:
- Initially offer ibrutinib.
- Offer idelalisib and adjunct stem cell transplantation for early relapse or refractory disease.
Which chromosomal abnormality is responsible for CML?
-Philadelphia chromosome, a reciprocal translocation of the long arm of chromosome 22 to chromosome 9.
What population are most affected by CML?
- almost exclusively a disease of adults
- peak of presentation being between 40 and 60 years.
What are the clinical features of CML?
-Often diagnosed as incidental findings on routine FBC and are therefore asymptomatic aside from pallor and massive splenomegaly.
What are the features of a blast crisis in CML?
- Malaise.
- Fever.
- Weight loss.
- Abdominal discomfort.
- Night sweats.
- Shortness of breath.
- Splenomegaly.
- Petechia, ecchymoses, easy bruising.
- Excessive bleeding.
- Infection.
what is seen on FBC in CML?
- Elevated WCC
- Thrombocytopenia in blast crisis.
what is seen on metabolic profile in CML?
- Elevated potassium
- Elevated LDH
- Elevated uric acid.
what is seen on blood film in CML?
- Myeloblasts and elevated basophils and eosinophils in chronic phase
- Blast cells > 20% in blast crisis.
what is seen on bone marrow biopsy in CML?
- Hypercellularity and granylocytopoiesis in chronic phase
- Blast cells >20% in blast crisis.
what is the management of CLL?
- tyrosine kinase inhibitor e.g. imatinib
- allogenegic haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and high dose induction chemotherapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the blast phase, or for disease progression
- Consider the use of interferon if there is relapse after HSCT, or HSCT is contraindicated.
what are the clinical features of hairy cell leukaemia?
- Abdominal discomfort.
- Splenomegaly.
- Fatigue.
- Weakness.
- Weight loss.
- Hepatomegaly.
- Pallor.
- Petechiae.
- Recurrent infections.
what is seen on FBC in hairy cell leukaemia?
- pancytopenia
what is seen on blood film in hairy cell leukaemia?
-Hairy cells.
what is seen on bone marrow biopsy in hairy cell leukaemia?
- Hairy cells
- Reticulin fibres.
How is hairy cell leukaemia managed?
- purine analogue (clabridine or pentostatin) for symptomatic patients.
- rituximab for relapsed or refractory disease.
- splenectomy for massive splenomegaly, splenic rupture, or marked thrombocytopenia.
How is hereditary spherocytosis inherited?
-autosomal dominant
what are the clinical features of hereditary spherocytosis?
- Pallor.
- Jaundice.
- Gallstones and biliary colic.
- Splenomegaly.
- Fatigue.
- Hydrops fetalis.
what is seen on FBC in hereditary spherocytosis?
- Normal or mild reduction in Hb
- Normal or mild reduction in MCV
- Normal WCC
- Normal platelets.
what is seen on blood film in hereditary spherocytosis?
- raised reticulocytes
- Spherocytes are small and lack central pallor
- Pincer cells (mushroom-shaped)
- Post-splenectomy Howell jolly bodies which have a purple (basophilic) spot.
what is the definitive diagnostic test hereditary spherocytosis?
-eosin-5-maleimide (EMA) binding test with reduced intensity
how is hereditary spherocytosis treated?
- Perform red cell transfusions in neonates with jaundice, or in infants, children and adults with mild-to-moderate symptoms.
- Perform splenectomy with a preoperative pneumococcal vaccination where there are severe symptoms.
- Offer lifelong phenoxymethylpenicillin prophylaxis post-splenectomy.
how is B-thalassaemia inherited?
-autosomal recessive
what are the features of B-thalassaemia major?
- Presents after 6 months of life.
- Pallor.
- Skeletal changes (large head with frontal and parietal bossing, chipmunk facies).
- Misaligned teeth.
- Hepatosplenomegaly.
- Failure to thrive.
- Gallstones.
- Lethargy.
what are the features of B-thalassaemia minor?
- asymptomatic
- mild pallor
what is seen on FBC in B-thalassaemia?
-Variable reduced Hb count.
what is seen on blood film in B-thalassaemia?
- Microcytic red cells
- Hypochromic red cells.
- variable elevation of reticulocyte count
what is seen on Hb analysis in major B-thalassaemia?
- Absent HbA
- Elevated HbF and HbA2
what is seen on Hb analysis in intermediate B-thalassaemia?
- Decreased HbA
- Elevated HbF and HbA2.
what is seen on Hb analysis in minor B-thalassaemia?
- Mostly HbA
- Elevated HbF and HbA2
what is seen on skull x-ray in intermediate and major B-thalassaemia?
- Expansion of marrow
- ’Hair on end’ appearance.
how is minor B-thalassaemia managed?
-Avoid iron supplementation unless there is evidence of iron deficiency.
how is intermedia B-thalassaemia managed?
- Offer acute red cell transfusions during symptomatic anaemia.
- Offer iron chelation therapy (subcutaneous desferrioxamine) for iron overload due to repeat transfusions.
- Offer splenectomy in transfusion dependent cases.
how is major B-thalassaemia managed?
- Offer lifelong transfusions.
- Offer iron chelation therapy (subcutaneous desferrioxamine) for iron overload due to repeat transfusions.
- Offer splenectomy in transfusion dependent cases.
- Offer stem cell transplantation in HLA-matched siblings as a curative therapy.
- Offer genetic counselling in all patients.
what are the clinical features of 2 gene deletion a-thalassaemia?
- Fatigue.
- Dizziness.
- Shortness of breath.
what are the clinical features of 3 gene deletion a-thalassaemia?
- Gallstones.
- Growth retardation.
- Jaundice.
- Splenomegaly in Hb Constant Spring.
what are the features of hydrops fetalis in a-thalassaemia?
- Pale.
- Oedematous.
- Enormous livers and spleens.
what is seen on FBC in a-thalassaemia?
- Low Hb
- Low MCV
- Low MCH.
what is seen on blood film in a-thalassaemia?
- Hypochromic red cells
- Microcytic red cells
- Basophilic stippling in Hb Constant Spring.
how is a-thalassaemia treated?
- Offer folic acid supplementation.
- Offer acute and chronic red blood cell transfusions.
- Offer iron chelation therapy (desferrioxamine) for patients with iron overload.
- Offer splenectomy and preoperative vaccination and postoperative phenoxymethylpenicillin for painful splenomegaly, hypersplenism, and associated pancytopenia.
how is sickle cell disease inherited?
-autosomal recessive
what is the genotype for sickle cell anaemia?
-HbSS
what is the genotype for sickle cell trait?
-HbAS.
what are the complications of sickle cell anaemia?
- infection
- poor growth and delayed sexual maturation
- cardiomegaly
- leg ulcers
- cholecystitis
- priapism
- hepatomegaly
- retinopathy
what are the clinical features of sickle cell anaemia?
- Painful swelling across joints of hands and feet (dactylitis).
- Jaundice.
- Pallor.
- Tachycardia.
- Failure to thrive.
- Pneumonia-like syndrome of chest pain, fever, dyspnoea, tachypnoea.
- Bone pain.
- Leg ulcers.
- Systolic flow murmur secondary to anaemia.
- Visual floaters.
- Protuberant abdomen secondary to splenomegaly
what is seen on FBC in sickle cell anaemia?
- Reduced Hb (normal for patient)
- Raised MCV
- Raised WCC in infection.
what is seen on blood film in sickle cell anaemia?
- Sickle-shaped cells
- Target cells
- Howell-Jolly bodies (hyposplenism).
what is seen on plain x-ray in sickle crisis?
- Infarction
- Avascular necrosis of the femoral head
- Third and fourth metacarpals are markedly shorter
- Fifth proximal phalanx is markedly shorter.
how is sickle cell anaemia diagnosed?
- CVS or amniocentesis when both parents carry the recessive sickle cell gene
- haemoglobin isoelectric focusing (Hb IEF) or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
- cellulose acetate electrophoresis for diagnosis in older children and adults.
- a sickle solubility test (Sickledex) for rapid diagnosis
what is the chronic management of sickle cell anaemia?
- Offer the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) every 5 years.
- Other vaccinations include the influenza vaccine, Hepatitis B vaccine, and meningitis ACWY vaccine.
- Offer penicillin prophylaxis (or oral erythromycin) to protect against infection.
- Offer folic acid supplementation (5 mg once daily) to prevent deficiency caused by increased folate turnover.
- Offer hydroxycarbamide to prevent acute painful crisis and acute chest syndrome in people with recurrent episodes.
- Avoid triggers such as dehydration, cold and high altitudes, and strenuous exercise.
- Women should avoid the combined oral hormonal contraceptive pill.
- Offer malaria prophylaxis for people with sickle cell disease, as it is likely to be severe due to splenic hypofunction.
what is the management of acute painful sickle crisis?
- Offer analgesia depending on the severity (paracetamol for mild pain, codeine for moderate pain, opioids for severe pain).
- Offer fluid replacement for intravascular volume depletion.
- Perform a blood transfusion for life-threatening acute painful crisis .
what is the management of acute chest syndrome?
- Offer oxygen therapy at a rate of 2 L/minute for patients with moderate hyperaemia.
- Offer broad spectrum antibiotics because bacterial pneumonia cannot always be ruled out.
- Offer analgesia depending on the severity of pain.
- Arrange cross match for exchange transfusion as soon as the patient is on ITU.
how is G6PD deficiency inherited?
-x-linked
What exposures can cause an acute haemolytic episode in G6PD deficiency?
- Sulfones such as Dapsone, which is used to treat dermatitis herpetiformis.
- Sulfonamides such as trimethoprim.
- Antimalarials such as primaquine.
- Nitrofurantoin.
- Fluoroquinolone such as ciprofloxacin.
- Fava beans.
- Surgery.
- Infection.
what are the clinical features of G6PD deficiency?
- Usually asymptomatic outside of acute haemolytic episodes.
- Jaundice.
- Gallstones.
- Pallor.
- Dark urine.
- Tachycardia.
- Nausea.
- Cataract.
what is seen on FBC in G6PD deficiency?
- Reduced Hb
- Increased MCHC.
what is seen on blood film in G6PD deficiency?
- Bite cells
- Heinz bodies.
- elevated reticulocytes
how is G6PD deficiency with severe anaemia managed?
- Offer folic acid 5 mg orally once daily for 3 weeks.
- Offer a packed red blood cell transfusion in patients with heart failure or severe symptoms.
- Offer erythropoeitin (epoeitin alfa) for patients with impaired renal function.
how is G6PD deficiency in neonates with prolonged indirect hyperbilirubinaemia managed?
- Offer phototherapy which transforms bilirubin into isomers that are more easily excretable, making breakdown products that do not require conjugation in the liver.
- Plasma exchange should be considered early on where there is acute ongoing haemolysis.
how is pyruvate kinase deficiency inherited?
- autosomal recessive
what is seen on blood film in pyruvate kinase deficiency?
- Burr cells (echinocytes)
- distorted prickle cells
- reticulocytosis
how is pyruvate kinase deficiency managed?
- Blood transfusions may be necessary during infections and pregnancy.
- Splenectomy is usually advised for patients requiring frequent transfusions
which antibody is present in warm haemolytic anaemia?
IgG
what are the causes of warm haemolytic anaemia?
- idiopathic
- Other autoimmune diseases such as SLE.
- Malignancy, such as chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
- Drugs, including methyldopa.
which antibody is present in cold haemolytic anaemia?
IgM
what are the causes of cold haemolytic anaemia?
- idiopathic
- Infection such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Epstein-Barr virus.
- Malignancy, such as lymphoma
what are the clinical features of warm haemolytic anaemia?
- Signs of anaemia such as pallor, fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
- Jaundice.
- Splenomegaly.
- Malar butterfly rash and arthralgia in SLE.
what are the clinical features of cold haemolytic anaemia?
- Signs of anaemia such as pallor, fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
- Raynaud’s phenomenon.
- Acrocyanosis.
what is seen on FBC in autoimmune haemolytic anaemias?
- Low Hb
- Raised WCC if underlying infection or malignancy
- Low platelets in SLE.
in which autoimmune haemolytic anaemia is Donath-Landsteiner antibody present?
-cold haemolytic anaemia
how is autoimmune haemolytic anaemia managed?
- Treat underlying condition
- Offer folic acid 1 mg orally daily.
- Offer high dose oral steroids (prednisolone 1 mg/kg/day) to reduce both production of the red cell autoantibody and destruction of antibody coated cells.
- Consider splenectomy if steroid treatment is unsuccessful.
- Consider immunosuppressive agents (rituximab) in patients who fail to respond to splenectomy.
- Offer supportive care such as folic acid supplementation and red blood cell transfusion.
- Patients with cold autoimmune haemolytic anaemia should avoid cold exposure.
what are the clinical features of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria?
- Dark urine at night and in the morning.
- Tiredness.
- Shortness of breath.
- Palpitations.
- Abdominal pain.
- Dysphagia and odynophagia.
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Headache, vomiting, papilloedema, coma.
- Infections.
what are the features of Budd-chiari syndrome?
- Right upper quadrant pain.
- Liver enlargement.
- Ascites.
what is seen on FBC in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria?
- reduced Hb
- reduced platelets
- increased reticulocytes
how is paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria managed?
- eculizumab
- Offer a red blood cell transfusion if the haemoglobin falls below 85 g/l.
- Offer an erythropoiesis stimulating agent (epoeitin alfa) in patients with aplastic anaemia or kidney damage.
-Offer alteplase in the acute stage of thrombosis followed by lifelong prophylactic
anticoagulation with LMWH (dalteparin).
-Offer ferrous sulfate for iron deficiency.
what investigations should be performed antenatally to prevent haemolytic disease of the newborn?
- Determine maternal blood type at first antenatal visit and at 28 weeks: RhD negative.
- Can determine foetal blood type from amniocentesis: RhD positive.
- Measure peak systolic velocity of foetal MCA to assess the severity of anaemia
- Perform a rosette test to determine if foetal maternal haemorrhage
- Perform a Kleihauer test
what is the Kleihauer test?
- The Kleihauer test involves a blood film of maternal blood that is treated with acid, which elutes HbA.
- HbF is resistant to this treatment and can be seen when the film is stained with eosin.
- If large doses of foetal red cells are present in the maternal circulation, higher dose of anti-D immunoglobulin will be necessary.
what is seen on foetal USS in hydrops fetalis?
- Subcutaneous oedema
- Ascites
- Pleural effusion
- Pericardial effusion.
what is seen on post-natal cordocentesis in haemolytic disease of newborn?
- Anaemia with a high reticulocyte count
- A positive direct antiglobulin test
- A raised serum bilirubin.
how is haemolytic disease of newborn managed antenatally?
-Offer anti-D immunoglobulin to all women with Rh negative blood and no known priorsensitisation at 28 weeks gestation and then within 72 hours of the end of pregnancy (whether by delivery, abortion, or ectopic pregnancy).
- Offer immediate anti-D immunoglobulin followed by a Kleihauer test following:
- -Antepartum haemorrhage (painful vaginal bleeding before 12 weeks, painless vaginal bleeding after 12 weeks)
- -abdominal trauma.
- -Amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.
- -External cephalic version.
how is haemolytic disease of newborn managed postnatally?
-Offer immediate exchange transfusion and phototherapy for a foetus with acute bilirubin encephalopathy.
-Consider intravascular intrauterine blood transfusions in a RhD positive foetus, elevated
middle cerebral artery flow, or elevated amniotic bilirubin levels.
-Consider exchange transfusion, phototherapy or intravenous immunoglobulin for neonates with erythroblastosis
which cell is the hallmark of classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
-Reed–Sternberg cells
which cell is the hallmark of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
-popcorn cell
what are the clinical features of Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
- Painless and persistent lymphadenopathy.
- B symptoms
what are B symptoms?
- Fever.
- Night sweats.
- Weight loss.
- Pruritus.
- Alcohol-induced pain.
what are the symptoms of superior vena cava syndrome?
- Dyspnoea.
- Cough.
- Orthopnoea.
- Dilated neck veins.
what investigations are needed to diagnose Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
- Inflammatory markers: raised ERS
- bone marrow biopsy: Reed-Sternberg cells
- CXR: mediastinal widening/lymphadenopathy
- PET/CT
what is stage 1 of the Cotswolds Modification to Ann Arbor Classification?
-Involvement of a single lymph node region (Waldeyer ring, spleen, thymus) or involvement of a single extralymphatic site
what is stage 2 of the Cotswolds Modification to Ann Arbor Classification?
- Involvement of two or more lymph node regions on the same side of the diaphragm
- localised contiguous involvement of one extranodal organ or site and lymph node regions on the same side of the diaphragm.
what is stage 3 of the Cotswolds Modification to Ann Arbor Classification?
- Involvement of lymph node regions on both sides of the diaphragm
- may be accompanied by involvement of the spleen, or by localised involvement of only one extranodal organ site or both.
what is stage 4 of the Cotswolds Modification to Ann Arbor Classification?
-Diffuse or disseminated involvement of one or more extra nodal organs or tissues.
how is early classical (stage 1 or 2) Hodgkin’s lymphoma managed?
-Offer ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine) chemotherapy.
how is advanced classical (stage 3 or 4) Hodgkin’s lymphoma managed?
-Offer ABVD chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
how is early nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin’s lymphoma managed?
-radiotherapy