Haematology and Oncology 2 Flashcards
What is Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP)?
IgA-mediated autoimmune hypersensitivity vasculitis of childhood
Unknown cause
What are the 5 main clinical features of HSP?
1) Skin purpura
2) Arthritis
3) Abdo pain
4) GI bleeding
5) Nephritis
How common is HSP?
Rare - 10/20 per 100,000 per year
But most common form of systemic vasculitis in children
At what age does HSP occur?
90% under 10 years
Peak 4-6 years
What is the pathophysiology of HSP?
IgA immune complexes deposit in small blood vessels of skin, joints, kidneys and GIT causing inflammatory reactions
How does HSP present?
Child comes in with limp!
Most often in autumn / winter, sometimes following an URTI or GI infection
1) Mildly ill + low grade fever
2) Symmetrical, erythematous macular rash on backs of legs, buttocks, ulnar side of arms
2) Within 24hrs maculses evolve into purpuric lesions which can coalesce to resemble bruises. Raised and palpable
4) Abdo pain and bloody diarrhoea may precede rash
5) +/- n&v
6) Joint pain esp knees and ankles
7) Renal involvement in 40%
- microscopic haematuria
- proteinuria
- nephritic syndrome
- (rarely oliguria and HTN)
8) Scrotal involvement
- Can mimic testicular torsion
Ddx of purpuric rash
Thrombocytopenia
Meningococcal meningitis
Trauma
Coughing / sneezing gives pinpoint petechia by ears / above nipples
Ddx of HSP
Intussusception
Connective tissue disease eg SLE
Other causes of purpuric rashes
Other causes of glomerulopnetphritis
Other causes of GI symptoms eg IBD
Acute haemorrhage oedema of infancy
What is acute haemorrhage oedema of infancy?
Self-limiting condition presenting with fever, oedema and targeted-shaped purpura affecting face, ears and extremities
How is HSP diagnosed?
Clinically
Tests include:
1) Urinalysis
- Haeamtuira and/or proteinuria (present in 20-40%)
2) FBC
- Raised WCC with eosinophilia
- Normal or inc platelets
- Helps exclude other causes eg thrombocytopenia
3) Raised ESR
4) Raised creatinine if renal involvement
5) Raised serum IgA
6) Testicular USS
- assess possible torsion
7) Renal biopsy
- Persistent nephrotic sundrome
What should be performed to confirm intussusception?
Barium enema
What is the management of HSP?
Usually self-limiting (resolves within 4 weeks)
Supportive treatment
NSAIDs for joints
- Caution if renal insufficiency or GI symptoms
Monitor BP and urinalysis for those with proteinuria
What are some complicaitons HSP?
Renal involvement usually mild (less than 1% progress to CKD)
Rarely MI, intussusception, GI bleeding, testicular haemorrhage
Recurrence in 1/3rd within 4-6 months of initial presentation
What are the 4 main types of leukaemia?
1) Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
2) Chronic lymphoblastic leukaemia (CLL)
3) Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
4) Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
How common is leukaemia?
Most common malignancy of childhood (30%)
3/100,000 per year
What is the most common leukaemia?
ALL
Chronic rare in childhood
What is the pathophysiology of leukaemia?
Malignant proliferation of white cell precursors (B or T cells) within bone marrow
These ‘blast’ cells escape into circulation and are deposited in lymphoid or other tissue
What is the peak age of presentation of ALL?
Between 2-5yrs
What age of presentation has a worse prognosis of ALL?
<2 yr or >10yr
How may ALL present? (8)
Insidious
1) Malaise
2) Anorexia
3) Pallor
4) Bruising
5) Bleeding
6) Lymphadenopathy
7) Splenomegaly
8) Bone pain
What may FBC show in ALL?
1) Anaemia
2) Thrombocytopenia
3) Raised WCC
Extremely high WCC = rose prognosis
What may be seen on a peripheral blood film in ALL?
Blast cells
How is a diagnosis of ALL confirmed?
Bone marrow aspirate
- Shows marrow infiltrated with blast cells
Cells examined by immunophenotyping and cytogenetic analysis
What % of ALL have specific genetic abnormalities in the leukaemic cell line? Example?
> 90%
eg TEL-AMLI fusion gene = 20% children with ALL