Quiz #2 - Malignant Heme Flashcards
Leukemia
Lymphoid or myeloid neoplasm with widespread involvement of bone marrow. Tumor cells are usually found in peripheral blood.
Lyphoma
Discrete tumor mass arising from lymph nodes. Presentations often blur definitions.
Hodgkin vs non‑Hodgkin lymphoma
Both may present with constitutional (“B”) signs/symptoms: low-grade fever, night sweats, weight loss (patients are Bothered by B symptoms).
HL:
- -Localized, single group of nodes; contiguous spread (stage is strongest predictor of prognosis). Overall prognosis better than that of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- -Characterized by Reed-Sternberg cells
- -Bimodal distribution–young adulthood and > 55 years; more common in men except for nodular sclerosing type.
- -Associated with EBV
NHL:
- -Multiple lymph nodes involved; extranodal involvement common; noncontiguous spread.
- -Majority involve B cells; a few are of T-cell lineage
- -Can occur in children and adults.
- May be associated with HIV and autoimmune diseases
Hodgkin Lymphoma
Contains Reed-Sternberg cells: distinctive tumor giant cells; binucleate or bilobed with the 2 halves as mirror images (“owl eyes” A). 2 owl eyes × 15 = 30. RS cells are CD15+ and CD30+ B-cell origin.
Subtype
- -Nodular sclerosis –> Most common
- -Lymphocyte rich –> Best prognosis
- -Mixed cellularity –> Eosinophilia, seen in immunocompromised patients
- -Lymphocyte depleted –> Seen in immunocompromised patients
Burkitt Lymphoma
NHL
Adolescents or young adults
t(8;14)—translocation of c-myc (8) and heavy-chain Ig (14)
“Starry sky” appearance, sheets of lymphocytes with interspersed “tingible body” macrophages
Associated with EBV.
Jaw lesion in endemic form in Africa; pelvis or abdomen in sporadic form.
Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma
NHL
Usually older adults, but 20% in children
Alterations in Bcl-2, Bcl-6
Most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adults.
Follicular Lymphoma
NHL
Adults t(14;18)—translocation of heavy-chain Ig (14) and BCL-2 (18) Indolent course; Bcl-2 inhibits apoptosis. Presents with painless “waxing and waning” lymphadenopathy
Mantle Cell Lymphoma
NHL
Adult males
t(11;14)—translocation of cyclin D1 (11) and heavy-chain Ig (14), CD 5+
Very aggressive, patients typically present with late-stage disease.
Marginal Zone Lymphoma
Adults
t(11;18)
Associated with chronic inflammation (eg, Sjögren syndrome, chronic gastritis [MALT lymphoma]).
Primary CNS Lymphoma
Adults
Most commonly associated with HIV/ AIDS; pathogenesis involves EBV infection
Considered an AIDS-defining illness.
Variable presentation: confusion, memory loss, seizures. Mass lesion(s) (may be ring-enhancing in immunocompromised patient) on MRI, needs to be distinguished from toxoplasmosis via CSF analysis or other lab tests.
Adult T-cell Lymphoma
Adults Caused by HTLV (associated with IV drug abuse)
Adults present with cutaneous lesions; common in Japan, West Africa, and the Caribbean.
Lytic bone lesions, hypercalcemia.
Mycosis fungoides/ Sézary syndrome
Adults
Mycosis fungoides: skin patches D/plaques (cutaneous T-cell lymphoma), characterized by atypical CD4+ cells with “cerebriform” nuclei and intraepidermal neoplastic cell aggregates (Pautrier microabscess).
May progress to Sézary syndrome (T-cell leukemia).
Multiple Myeloma
Monoclonal plasma cell (“fried egg” appearance) cancer that arises in the marrow and produces large amounts of IgG (55%) or IgA (25%). Bone marrow > 10% monoclonal plasma cells. Most common 1° tumor arising within bone in people > 40–50 years old. Associated with:
increased susceptibility to infection
Primary amyloidosis (AL)
Punched-out lytic bone lesions on x-ray A
M spike on serum protein electrophoresis
Ig light chains in urine (Bence Jones protein)
Rouleaux formation B (RBCs stacked like poker chips in blood smear) Numerous plasma cells C with “clock-face” chromatin and intracytoplasmic inclusions containing immunoglobulin.
CRAB HyperCalcemia Renal involvement Anemia Bone lytic lesions/Back pain
Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)
monoclonal expansion of plasma cells (bone marrow < 10% monoclonal plasma cells), asymptomatic, may lead to multiple myeloma. No CRAB findings. Patients with MGUS develop multiple myeloma at a rate of 1–2% per year.
Waldenström macroglobulinemia
M spike = IgM
hyperviscosity syndrome (eg, blurred vision, Raynaud phenomenon);
no CRAB findings.
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Stem-cell disorders involving ineffective hematopoiesis
–> defects in cell maturation of nonlymphoid lineages.
Caused by de novo mutations or environmental exposure (eg, radiation, benzene, chemotherapy). Risk of transformation to AML.
Pseudo–Pelger-Huet anomaly—neutrophils with bilobed (“duet”) nuclei. Typically seen after chemotherapy.
Leukemia
Unregulated growth and differentiation of WBCs in bone marrow –> marrow failure –> anemia (decreasedRBCs), infections (decrease mature WBCs), and hemorrhage (decrease platelets).
Usually presents with increasedcirculating WBCs (malignant leukocytes in blood); rare cases present with normal/lowWBCs.
Leukemic cell infiltration of liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and skin (leukemia cutis) possible.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma
Most frequently occurs in children; less common in adults (worse prognosis). T-cell ALL can present as mediastinal mass (presenting as SVC-like syndrome).
Associated with Down syndrome.
Peripheral blood and bone marrow have INCRESAEDlymphoblasts
TdT+ (marker of pre-T and pre-B cells), CD10+ (marker of pre-B cells). Most responsive to therapy. May spread to CNS and testes.
t(12;21) –> better prognosis.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma
Age > 60 years. Most common adult leukemia.
CD20+, CD23+, CD5+ B-cell neoplasm.
Often asymptomatic, progresses slowly; smudge cells B in peripheral blood smear; autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
CLL = Crushed Little Lymphocytes (smudge cells).
Richter transformation—CLL/SLL transformation into an aggressive lymphoma, most commonly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
Hairy cell leukemia
Adult males.
Mature B-cell tumor.
Cells have filamentous, hair-like projections (fuzzy appearing on LM ).
Peripheral lymphadenopathy is uncommon. Causes marrow fibrosis –> drytap on aspiration.
Patients usually present with massive splenomegaly and pancytopenia.
Stains TRAP (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase)⊕. TRAP stain largely replaced with flow cytometry.
Treatment: cladribine, pentostatin.
Acute myelogenous leukemia
Median onset 65 years.
Auer rods ; myeloperoxidase ⊕ cytoplasmic inclusions seen mostly in APL (formerly M3 AML);
lots of circulating myeloblasts on peripheral smear; adults.
Risk factors: prior exposure to alkylating chemotherapy, radiation, myeloproliferative disorders, Down syndrome.
APL: t(15;17), responds to all-trans retinoic acid (vitamin A), inducing differentiation of promyelocytes;
DIC is a common presentation.
Chronic myelogenous leukemia
Occurs across the age spectrum with peak incidence 45–85 years, median age at diagnosis 64 years.
Defined by the Philadelphia chromosome (t[9;22], BCR-ABL) and myeloid stem cell proliferation.
Presents with dysregulated production of mature and maturing granulocytes (eg, neutrophils, metamyelocytes, myelocytes, basophils ) and splenomegaly.
May accelerate and transform to AML or ALL (“blast crisis”).
Very low LAP as a result of low activity in malignant neutrophils (vs benign neutrophilia [leukemoid reaction], in which LAP is high).
Responds to bcr-abl tyrosine kinase inhibitors (eg, imatinib, dasatinib).
Chronic myeloproliferative disorders
The myeloproliferative disorders (polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, myelofibrosis, and CML) are malignant hematopoietic neoplasms with varying impacts on WBCs and myeloid cell lines.
Associated with V617F JAK2 mutation.
Polycythemia vera
Primary polycythemia.
Disorder of increased RBCs.
May present as intense itching after hot shower.
Rare but classic symptom is erythromelalgia (severe, burning pain and red-blue coloration) due to episodic blood clots in vessels of the extremities.
LowEPO (vs 2° polycythemia, which presents with endogenous or artificially HighEPO).
Treatment: phlebotomy, hydroxyurea, ruxolitinib (JAK1/2 inhibitor).