Into to Haematology

Question 1

What is polycythaemia?

Answer 1

Too many red blood cells

Question 2

What is leukaemia?

Answer 2

Malignant changes with too many WBCs in the blood

Question 3

What is lymphoma?

Answer 3

Malignant changes with accumulation of malignant cells in the lymph nodes

Question 4

What is lymphopenia?

Answer 4

Too few lymphocytes (more subtle immunodeficiency)

Question 5

What conditions can cause poor clotting?

Answer 5

Inherited disorders –> Haemophilia

Acquired disorders –> Aspirin

Question 6

What conditions cause increased clotting?

Answer 6

Inherited disorders –> Thombophilia

Acquired disorders –> Stasis, endothelial damage

Question 7

What are some causes of microcytic anaemia?

Answer 7

1) Iron deficiency

2) Thalassaemia

Question 8

What are some causes of normocytic anaemia?

Answer 8

1) Bone marrow failure/ aplastic anaemia
2) Blood loss
3) Anaemia of chronic disease
4) Renal disease
5) Many haemolytic anaemias

Question 9

What are some causes of macrocytic anaemia?

Answer 9

1) Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency

Megaloblastic anaemia

Question 10

What are the causes of iron deficiency anaemia?

Answer 10

Chronic blood loss –> Menstruation, GI blood loss

Poor diet –> Mainly in children

Malabsorption –> A minor cause

Question 11

What is pancytopenia?

Answer 11

Deficiency of all 3 cellular components of the blood: RBCs, WBCs, and platelets

Question 12

What cells are involved in lymphoid leukaemia? And myeloid leukaemia?

Answer 12

1) Tumour of B or T cells

2) Affects cells of all other lineages (EG: neutrophils, RBCs, monocyte, or platelets)

Question 13

What are reed sternberg cells?

Answer 13

They define Hodgkin lymphoma.

Large with abundant pale cytoplasm and two oral lobulated nuclei containing prominent “owl-eye” eosinophilic nucleoli.

Question 14

What is myeloma?

Answer 14

Malignancy of plasma cells that produce a monoclonal immunoglobulin called paraprotein.

Relatively incurable disorder.

Presents with: Renal failure, bone pain, and anaemia.

Question 15

What is a myeloproliferative disorder?

Answer 15

Clonal proliferation of stem cells which lead to a hypercellular bone marrow.

This bone marrow has increased:

1) RBCs –> Polycythameia
2) WBCs –> Essential thrombocythaemia
3) Platelets –> Chronic myeloid leukaemia
4) Reactive fibrosis –> Myelofibrosis

Question 16

Vascular and platelet abnormalities tend to lead to bleeding in the….
while coagulation disorders tend to lead to bleeding into….

Answer 16

1) mucosa or skin; oral or GI tract

2) joints and muscles

Question 17

What is Virchows triad?

Answer 17

1) Vessel damage
2) Stasis
3) Change in blood composition

Question 18

1) What is bone marrow aspirate?

2) What is bone marrow trephine?

Answer 18

1) Liquid sample

2) Solid core sample (can look at marrow cellularity)

Question 19

What is polychromasia?

Answer 19

A disorder where there is an abnormally high number of immature red blood cells found in the bloodstream as a result of being prematurely released from the bone marrow during blood formation.