Haematology of Systemic Disease Flashcards
A patient with lymphoma is referred by the GP with new onset jaundice, anaemia and raised LDH.
Lymphoma stage 4 with bone marrow +liver involved
Lymphoma with nodes compressing the bile duct plus anaemia of inflammation
Lymphoma with Acquired auto immune haemolytic anaemia
What can be the first presentation in cancer
Anaemia
What are the forms of anaemia associated with cancer
Iron deficiency
Anaemia of inflammation (chronic disease)
Leucoerythroblastic anaemia
Haemolytic anaemia
What cancers can cause secondary polycythaemia
Renal cell cancer
Liver cancer
What are the lab findings in iron deficiency anaemia
Reduced ferritin
Reduced transferrin saturation
Raised TIBC
Reduced ferritin
Reduced transferrin saturation
Raised TIBC
Iron deficiency anaemia
What is the major cause of iron deficiency anaemia until proven otherwise
Bleeding until proved otherwise
What cancers can cause occult blood loss
GI cancer: gastric, colonic/rectal
Urinary tract cancer: renal cell carcinoma (physicians tumour), bladder cancer
What may cause acquired haemolytic anaemia in cancer
Immune mediated
Non-immune mediated - fragmentation (micro-angiopathic haemolytic anaemia)
What is leucoerythroblastic anaemia
Red cell and white cell precursor anaemia
Variable degree of anaemia
What are the morphological features on blood film of leucoerythroblastic anaemia
Teardrop RBCs (and aniso and poikilocytosis)
Nucleated RBCs
Immature myeloid cells
What can cause a leucoerythroblastic film
Bone marrow infiltration
What are some causes of bone marrow infiltration (producing leucoerythroblastic film)
Cancer: haemopoietic (leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma), non-haemopoietic (breast, bronchus, prostate)
Severe infection: MTB, severe fungal infection
Myelofibrosis: massive splenomegaly, dry tap on BM aspirate
What process underpins haemolytic anaemias
Shortened red cell survival
What are some key markers looked for to distinguish causes of haemolytic anaemias
Anaemia (may be compensated)
Reticulocytosis
Raised bilirubin (unconjugated)
Reduced haptoglobins
Subsets of haemolytic anaemia
Inherited: defects of the red cell
Acquired: defects of the environment in which the red cells find themselves
Components of a RBC
Membrane
Haemoglobin
Enzymes
Defects of RBC membrane leading to haemolytic anaemia
Spherocytosis
Ellipotcytosis
Defects of RBC haemoglobin leading to haemolytic anaemia
Structural - sickle cell disease
Quantitative - thalassaemias
Defects of RBC enzymes leading to haemolytic anaemia
G6PD
Types of acquired haemolytic anaemia
Immune
Non-immune
How do you distinguish an immune from a non-immune haemolytic anaemia
Direct antiglobulin test (Coombs test)
Spherocytes
DAT +ve
Auto-immune haemolytic anaemia
What are the associated systemic disorders with auto-immune haemolytic anaemias
Cancer of the immune system: lymphoma
Disease of the immune system: SLE
Infection (disturbing the immune system)
Causes on non-immune acquired haemolytic anaemias
Infection (malaria)
Micro-angiopathic haemolytic anaemia (MAHA)
What are the manifestations of MAHA
Red cell fragments
Low platelets
DIC/bleeding
Underlying adenocarcinoma
Micro-angiopathy in malignancy - e.g. adenocarcinomas with low grade DIC
Platelet consumption
Fibrin deposition and degradation
Red cell fragmentation (microangiopathy)
Bleeding
True polycythaemia
raised red cell mass