Haematology Pathologies (Remember Blood Films)

Question 1

Anaemia of chronic disease (causes, type of anaemia, blood results)

Answer 1

Causes: malignancy, connective tissue disease (eg. RA), and chronic infection (eg. TB)

Type of anaemia: normocytic (80-100fL) - can progress to microcytic (80> fL)

Blood results: low iron and increase in ferritin

Question 2

Aplastic anaemia (definition, causes, symptoms)

Answer 2

Definition: pancytopenia with hypocellular bone marrow

Causes: drugs (eg. NSAIDs), infection (eg. hepatitis)

Symptoms: fatigue, pallor, easy bruising, bleeding

Question 3

DVT (risks, symptoms and signs, tests and treatment)

Answer 3

Risks: old, long travels, obese, pregnant, previous/family history

Symptoms: unilateral warm and swollen calf/thigh, pain when palpating deep veins, pitting oedema, distension in superficial veins

Tests: doppler ultrasound and D-dimer blood test

Treatment: anticoagulation

Question 4

What blood results would you expect in haemolytic anaemia?

Answer 4

• decrease in Hb
• increase in unconjugated bilirubin
• reticulocytosis
• increased LDH and urine urobiliogen

Question 5

Iron deficiency anaemia (causes, type of anaemia, symptoms and treatment)

Answer 5

Causes: malabsorption (eg. Coeliac), reduced intake (eg. poor diet) or increased loss (eg. bleeding)

Type of anaemia: microcytic anaemia (80> fL)

Symptoms: fatigue, lethargy, jaundice/pallor, weight loss

Treatment: dependant on cause but includes supplements and diet improvement

Question 6

Pernicious anaemia (definition, causes, type of anaemia, management)

Answer 6

Definition: lack of B12 in the blood which results in a lack of red cells

Causes: pancreatic insufficiency, terminal ileal disease (eg. Crohn’s), bacterial overgrowth, TB, metformin

Type of anaemia: macrocytic anaemia (>120 fL)

Management: life-long cobalamin