Leukemia

1. IBMGYEAR 2
TUTOR GROUP 2
MAY 2015
WEEK 4/5 CASE A
QUESTION 2
Why do patients with chronic leukemia have a normal Hb and platelet
count?
Why does acute leukemia often present with abnormal Hb and platelet
count? (Also known as anaemia and thrombocytopenia)

2. This is how chronic leukemia can be defined:
A neoplastic proliferation of B-cells
A possible complication:
- auto-immune hemolytic anemia
Also:
May progress to diffuse B-cell lymphoma

3. This is where acute leukemia starts - the hpc in the bone marrow
Thus, it has an effect on all the cell lineages!
This is why abnormal hb and platelet counts are seen more often in
acute leukemia than in chronic leukemia.