| Introduction
Measuring
WBCs
Myeloid
Leukemias
Lymphoid
Leukemias
Sources
of Error
Quiz
Please |
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Features
found in most leukemias.
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Changes are seen in both
the peripheral blood and bone marrow.
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Peripheral blood: In
most, but not all, cases of leukemia there are abnormalities in the peripheral
blood smear.
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WBC count (either up
or down, sometimes in the reference range).
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Neoplastic WBCs or WBC
precursors in the peripheral blood.
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Secondary decreases in
all other formed elements
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RBCs, anemias
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WBCs, infections
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Platelets, bleeding
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Bone marrow: all leukemias
will have bone marrow abnormalities.
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Increased cellularity
(in excess of 50:50 fat to hematopietic tissue ratio).
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Clonal proliferation
of malignant cells, in some cases giving rise to what is called a maturational
arrest.
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Decreased numbers of
healthy precursor cells.
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In some cases there is fibrosis
of the marrow space.
These changes seem obvious,
but what tips you off?
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