white blood cell disorders

Question 1

what is leukaemia and leukopenia and leukocytosis

Answer 1

• excessive proliferation of malignant hematopoietic cells which crowds out/ reduces the number of healthy blood cells produces therefore reducing numbers of RBCs, WBCs and platelets
• blast/ immature cells accumulate in the bone marrow which;
  1. disrupts normal blood cell development which leads to cytopenia (decreased blood cells)
  2. blast/ immature cells eventually spill out into blood and can settle in organs (liver, spleen, lymph nodes, thymus)

leukopenia

• a reduction in WBC numbers. it increases the risk of infection and may be caused by
• radiation
• shock
• autoimmune diseases or immune deficiencies
• certain infections

leukocytosis

• an increase in WBC numbers beyond the normal range. it occurs as part of the normal homeostatic response to
• infections
• surgery
• trauma
• pregnancy
• emotional stress

Question 2

what are the two blast cells

Answer 2

• myeloid lineage

- lymphoid lineage

Question 3

what is acute leukaemia

Answer 3

• rapid proliferation of blast cells
• acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
• acute myeloid leukaemia develops rapidly with the highly proliferative blast cells taking up space in the bone marrow and preventing the normal development of all types of blood cells, resulting in cytopenia. Eventually the malignant blast cells spill out into circulation and may then spread to other organs and tissues in the body.

Question 4

what is chronic leukaemia

Answer 4

• slower proliferation of somewhat differentiated blast cells
• chronic lymphocytic leukemia (mostly B-cell precursors, accumulate in lymph nodes)
• chronic myeloid leukemia (mostly granulocyte precursors)
  In chronic leukemia the malignant cells are further differentiated, but do not develop full functionality. Chronic leukemia advances slowly, with the build up of malignant cells taking months or years. However, the build-up of the malignant cells in the bone marrow ultimately has the same effect as in acute leukemia- cytopenia.

Question 5

what are signs and symptoms of leukaemia

Answer 5

• fatigue
• easy bleeding and bruising
• increased susceptibility to infections
• hepatosplenomegaly (a disorder where both the liver and spleen swell beyond their normal size)
• lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes)

Question 6

what are treatment options for leukaemia

Answer 6

• chemotherapy
• radiation
• biological therapies
• stem cell transplants
• bone marrow transplants

Question 7

what is lymphoma

Answer 7

• uncontrolled proliferation of lymphocytes within the lymphatic system
• decrease effectiveness of the immune and lymphatic systems in fighting infections from tumours that grow in the lymph nodes

Question 8

non Hodgkin lymphoma (most common)

Answer 8

• readily spread to other sites in the lymph system
• fast-growing or slow-growing
• affect B or T cells but B- cells are more commonly affected
• occurs in middle age

Question 9

Hodgkin lymphoma

Answer 9

• distinguished by the presence of reed-stern berg cells (an enlarged, multi-nucleated cell)
• occurs in young adults or more elderly adults

Question 10

what are signs and symptoms of lymphoma and treatment options

Answer 10

• painless lymphadenopathy (enlargement of lymph nodes)
• B- symptoms (fever, night sweating, weight loss)
• fatigue
• increased infections

treatment

• chemotherapy
• radiation
• stem cell transplant

Question 11

what is myeloma and signs and symptoms

Answer 11

Myeloma is a cancer of plasma B-cells. The malignant plasma cells grow into tumours within bone marrow- most commonly at multiple sites (multiple myeloma).
- increased osteoclasts (break down bone) and decreased osteoblasts (build bone)

signs and symptoms

• back pain
• anaemia
• infections
• renal failure
• dehydration
• fractures
• osteolytic bone lesions
• hypercalcemia