A c u t e L e u k e m i a
Definition
• Malignant, monoclonal proliferations of immature myeloid or lymphoid cells in bone marrow.
Pathophysiology
• Caused by clonal expansion and maturation failure.
• Malignant cells do bad things:
• Crowd out normal hematopoietic cells.
• Inhibit growth and function of normal hematopoietic cells.
• Infiltrate other organs (liver, spleen, brain, others) and cause damage.
Clinical Features
• Sudden onset.
• Symptoms related to bone marrow failure
• fatigue (anemia)
• fever, infectious symptoms (decreased normal white blood cells)
• bleeding (thrombocytopenia)
• Bone pain
• Organ infiltration
• lymphadenopathy
• hepatosplenomegaly
• CNS infiltration
Laboratory Findings
• Immature cells in blood.
• Elevated white count (usually!).
• Anemia.
• Thrombocytopenia.
