N o t e s
This part of the notes includes a quick overview of the symptoms of hematopathologic disorders, a demystification of the CBC, and a simple method of looking at a blood smear.
Anemia is defined a reduction below normal in hemoglobin or red cell number. This part of the notes covers all major types of anemia (and a few just plain interesting types too).
There are lots of reasons why a patient's white blood cell count may increase. Read here to find out about the non-malignant (benign) causes of an elevated WBC (leukocytosis).
In studying hematopathology, it is very easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees (or the leaves)! Look here first to get a good map of the forest.
Acute leukemias are diseases in which malignant, immature myeloid or lymphoid cells proliferate in the bone marrow (and usually spill over into the blood). This section discusses both acute myeloid and acute lymphoid leukemias.
Chronic myeloproliferative disorders are characterized by a proliferation of malignant, maturing myeloid cells in the bone marrow.
Chronic lymphoproliferative disorders are characterized by a proliferation of malignant, mature lymphoid cells in the bone marrow.
Lymphomas are diseases in which malignant lymphoid cells proliferate in the lymph nodes (and occasionally spill over into the blood and/or bone marrow). This section discusses both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas.
Myeloma is a malignant disorder of plasma cells which originates in the bone marrow.
