Hematology & Oncology Flashcards
Polycythemia vera (blood cancer; bone marrow to make too many red blood cells)
- myeloproliferative disorder marked by erthrocytosis
- types:
1. Primary polycythemia (low erythropoietin)
2. Secondary polycythemia ( high erythropoietin)
Manifistation:
- increase blood viscosity (HTN, erythromelalgia, transient visual disturbance)
-increases RBC turnover ( gouty arthritis)
-Aquagenic pruritus
-bleeding
Examination:
- facial plethora (ruddy cyanosis; facial swelling and puffiness.)
- splenomegaly
Laboratroy:
- high Hg
- high leukocytes
- high platelet
- low erythropoietin
- (positive) JAK2 mutation
Complication:
- thrombosis
-myelofibrosis & acute leukemia
Treatment:
- phlebotomy
- hydroxyurea (if, increase risk of thrombus)
Extra finding:
- low ESR
- low iron
Note:
-erythromelalgia: burning cyanosis in hands/feet
- facial plethora: also seen with Cushing syndrome
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) vs. leukomoid reaction
CML:
- Caused by: BCR-ABL fusion protein
Feature:
- fatigue + weight loss + nigh sweat + abdominal fullness (splenomegaly)
Laboratory:
- severe leukocytosis (leukocytes > 100,000) + anemia ( low Hg) + high platelet
- low leukocytosis alkaline phosphate score ( low ALP) (neutrophils are cytochemically & functionally abnormal)
- Less mature: myelocytes > metamyelocytes
- presence of absolutes basophilia
Leukemoid reaction:
- caused by: severe infection
Signs:
- leukocyte count > 50, 000
- high Leukocyte alkaline phosphatase (High LAP)
- more mature: metamyelocytes > myelocytes
- absence of absolute basophils
Hemophilia A or B
Inheritance:
- X-linked recessive
Feature:
- delayed/prolonged bleeding after mild trauma
1. Hemarthrosis, intramuscular hematomas
2. GI or genitourinary hematoma
3. Intracranial Hematoma
Laboratory:
1. High activated PTT
2. Normal platelet & Normal PT
3. Absent or low factor 8 (hemophilia A) or factor 9 (hemophilia B)
Treatment:
- factor replacement
-desmopressin for mild hemophilia A
Petechiae ( pinpointed red spots)
- associated with capillary rupture
- seen with platelet disorders ( lead to mucosal bleeding; GI, uterine, oropharyngeal)
Red papule (on trunk & lips)
- represent cutaneous AVM
- seen with hereditary telangiectasia ( autosomal dominant + telangiectasia + epistaxis)
Von Willebrand disease
- heavy menstrual bleeding in women
- abnormality in platelet plug formation —> lead to prolonged mucosal bleeding ( GI, uterine, oropharyngeal)
Graft vs. host disease (GVHD)
- Caused by: activation of the donor T lymphocytes
- after bone marrow transplantation (from matched HLA-siblings)
Target organs of GVHD:
- Skin: maculopapular rash in face, hand, feet
- Intestine: diarrhea + occult blood in stool
- Liver: abnormal LFT + Jaundice
Note:
- activation of host T-lymphocytes = facilitate rejection of the graft = depression of myelopoiesis (production of bone marrow) = low neutrophils for several days + increase risk of infection
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
Superior Vena Cava (SVC) syndrome
- caused by: obstruction of SVC, prevent flow of blood from head/neck/ arm to right heart
- obstruction of SVC is due to: malignancy ( small cell lung cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma),
Signs:
- SOB + venous congestion + swelling of the head/ neck/ arm
Diagnosis::
- chest X-ray
- follow up with chest CT & histology ( To determine tumor type)
24- hours urinary protein excretion
- assess for nephrotic syndrome
- causes generalized edema
Measurement of albumin
- assess for liver disease
- causes generalized edema
Anemia of chronic diseases
-caused by: long term elevation of inflammatory cytokines ( hepcidin —> destroy iron channel on macrophages —> limits iron availability for erythropoiesis)
- causes Normocytic or slightly Microcytic anemia with low Reticulocyte response
Cancer pain management
Chronic cancer-related pain:
Mild (severity 1-3 out of 10)
Nonopioid:
1. Acetaminophen or NSAID
2. ± adjuvant ( Glucocorticoid, anti-depressant, anti-convulsant)
3. If inadequate relief from these medication move to short-acting opioid
Moderate to severe ( severity 4-10 out of 10)
Short acting opioid:
1. Oxycodone, morphine
2. ±nonopioid ±adjuvant
- multiple daily doses or sleep interruption or if bedtime dosing does not provide relief through out the night :
Long-acting opioid:
- Extended release morphine, fentanyl patch
- ±nonopioid ± adjuvant
+ short acting opioid for breakthrough pain
Upper extremity DVT
- in young + athletic men who lift weight or engage in activities that involves repetitive overhead arm motion (pitching a baseball game)
-sign: acute arm swelling + heaviness + pain + worst with arm elevation/ improved with arm rest
- diagnosis: duplex or doppler U/S
- treatment: thrombolysis &/or 3 months of anti-coagulation
Vitamin B deficiency
- caused by: pernicious anemia (antibody-mediated destruction of intrinsic factor)
- complication: gastric cancer
Signs: - macrocytic anemia (lightheadedness + palpitation)
- glossitis ( smooth tongue)
- lower extremity neurologic finding ( paresthesia + diminished reflexes)
Hemochromatosis
Signs:
- skin hyperpigmentation
- MSK pain
- GI: hepatomegaly ( early), cirrhosis (late), hepatocellular carcinoma ( complication)
-endocrine: DM, hypogonadism, hypothyroidism
- cardiac: restrictive cardiomyopathy
- infection: listeria, Vibrio, Yersinia
Notes:
- hemochromatosis should be considered in patient with abnormal LFT enzymes + diabetes + hyperpigmentation
Long-standing mediastinal lymphadenopathy
- follicular lymphoma ( type of non-hodgkin lymphoma of elderly people)
- present as: non-painful peripheral lymphadenopathy for years in the (cervical, axillary, inguinal region)
- waxing & waning lymphadenopathy
- hilar/mediastinal lymphadenopathy are usually seen
- No B symptoms + No laboratory abnormality
Diagnosis:
- excisional lymph node biopsy
- translocation between chr. 14 & 18 (over-expression of BCL-2; oncogenic that prevent apoptosis)
The distal vs proximal deep vein thrombosis
- distal DVT (calf veins): normally dont lead to PE, & usually resolved
- proximal DVT ( femoral & popliteal veins): usually lead to PE
- PE: (pleuritic chest pain, tachycardia, hypoxemia ..)
- Pulmonary HTN ( acute chest pain + tachycardia + S2)
Fulminant infection in asplenic patient
- pneumococcal pneumonia = fever + tachycardia + hypotension + tachypnea
- patient with asplenia are at high risk for fluminant infection with encapsulated organisms ( due to impaired antibody-facilitated phagocytosis)
- these patients should be immunized with: pneumococcal, meningococcal, & H influenza type B vaccine + take oral antibiotics early in the course of any febrile illness
Hodgkin lymphoma
- young patient
Signs:
- painless hilar/ mediastinal lymphadenopathy in cervical or supraclavicular or mediastinal mass
- B-symptoms ( fever, night sweats, weight loss)
Diagnosis:
- excisional lymph node biopsy
- no evidence of clear peripheral lymphadenopathy of physical examination —> undergo (PET scan with 18-FDG) —> identify area of enhanced metabolic activity (cancer, infection) —> also, will pool in area of high glucose: brain, liver, kidney, urinary collecting system due to radiotracer excretion
Iron study in microcytic anemia
Iron deficiency: (high TIBG)
- low iron
- low MCV
- high TIBG (total iron binding capacity )
- low ferritin
- low transferrin saturation (iron/TIBG)
- in men, it is associated with chronic GI blood loss
Thalassemia ( high iron, ferritin, transferrin)
- high iron
- low low MCV
- low TIBG
- high ferritin
- High high transferrin
Anemia of chronic diseases: ( normal/high ferritin)
- low iron
- normal/low MCV
- low TIBG
- normal/ high ferritin
- normal/low transferrin
Leukemia
( ALL, AML , CLL, CML)
- WBC cancer
- classified by (myeloid or lymphoid)
- types:
1. Acute: - acute lymphocytic leukemia
- acute myeloid leukemia
- Chronic:
- chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- chronic myeloid leukemia
Blood stem cell
- Myeloid stem cell
- RBC
- platelet
- myeloblast —> granulocytes —> basophil, eosinophil, neutrophil - Lymphoid stem cell
- lymphoblast —> B lymphocyte (plasma cell), T lymphocyte, Nk cells
AML vs CML —> involves myeloid stem cell
- AML:
- Involves myeloblast - CML:
- involves Granulocytes —> basophil, predominant neutrophil, eosinophil
Notes:
- mostly in 50-60 years old (middle age)