Leukemia

Leukemia

Describe leukemia.
Answer:

Leukemia is caused by the mutation of bone marrow pluripotent or most primitive cells.

• The proliferation of leukemic cells takes place primarily in the bone marrow and in certain forms in the lymphoid tissues.
• Leukemias are classified based on cell types into myeloid and lymphoid and based on the natural history of the disease, into chronic and acute. Thus the main types of leukemia are:

• • Acute myeloblastic leukemia.
  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
  • Chronic myeloid leukemia
  • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Leukemia types

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

It constitutes about 25% of all leukemias and is a disease of the elderly with a male predisposition.

Leukemia Clinical Features

• Features of anemia such as weakness, fatigue, and dyspnea.
• Lymph nodes are symmetrically enlarged, discrete and non-tender
• Splenomegaly and hepatomegaly are present
• Thrombocytopenia is present which leads to hemorrhagic tendencies.

CML Philadelphia chromosome

Leukemia Laboratory Findings

• Blood picture:
  • Anemia: It is of normocytic normochromic type.
  • WBCs: Marked leukocytosis is present, i.e. 50,000 to 200,000/µl.
  • Platelet count: Thrombocytopenia is present.
• Bone marrow findings:
  • Increased lymphocyte count is present.
  • Reduced myeloid and erythroid precursors.