3. LEUKOPENIA
Bone marrow produces very few
WBCs
This leaves the body unprotected
against many bacteria and others
agents might invade the tissues
4. Causes of Leukopenia
Irridation by x-rays or gamma rays
Exposure to drugs and chemicals that
contain benzene
5. Effects of Leukopenia on the
Body
Decrease in the number of WBCs
immediately allows invasion of adjacent
tissues by bacteria that are already
present
Within 2 days after the bone marrow
stops producing WBCs, ulcers may
appears in the mouth and colon, or
develop some form of severe respiratory
infection
Bacteria from the ulcers rapidly invade
surrounding the tissues and the blood
Without treatment, death often ensues in
less than a week after acute total
leukopenia begins
6. LEUKEMIAS
Uncontrolled production of WBCs
Caused by cancerous mutation of a
myelogenous or lymphogenous cell
Usually characterized by greatly
increased numbers of abnormal
WBCs in the circulating blood
8. Lymphocytic Leukemias
Caused by cancerous production of
lymphoid cells
Usually beginning in a lymph node or
other lymphocytic tissue and
spreading to other areas of the body
9. Myelogenous luekemias
Begins by cancerous production of
myelogenous cells in bone marrow
Then, spreads throughout the body so
that white blood cells are produced in
many extramedullary tissues…
-especially in the lymph nodes, spleen
and
liver
10. Effects of Leukemias on the
Body
Metastatic growth of leukemic cells in
abnormal areas of the body
Leukemic cells from the bone marrow
may reproduce so greatly that they
invade the surrounding bone, causing
pain and eventually, a tendency for
bones to fractures easily
Leukemias spread to the spleen, lymph
nodes, liver, and other vascular regions
regardless of whether the origin of the
leukemia is in the bone marrow or the
lymph nodes
11. Effects of Leukemias on the
Body
Commonly it will increase the
development of infection, severe
anemia, and a bleeding tendency
caused by thrombocytopenia(lack of
platelets)
Excessive use of metabolic substrates
by the growing cancerous cells
The leukemic tissues reproduce new
cells so rapidly that tremendous
demands are made on the body
reserves for foodstuffs, specific amino
acids, and vitamins
12. Effects of Leukemias on the
Body
Consequently, the energy of the patient
is greatly depleted, and excessive
utilization of amino acids by the leukemic
cells causes especially rapid
deterioration of the normal protein
tissues of the body
Thus, while the leukemic tissues
grow, other tissues grow, other tissues
becomes debilitated
After metabolic starvation has continued
long enough, this alone is sufficient to
cause death
