Haematology

Introduction

Summary

• Physiology

• Pathology

• Clinical

• Wider

Physiology

Pathology

Pathology is best classified as per the the maturation of haemopoietic blood stem cells

Cancer 

• Leukaemia

  • • Myeloid: Acute Myeloblastic Leukaemia (AML) , CML (Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia) 

    • Lymphoid: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) , CLL (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia) 

• Lymphomas

• Myeloproliferative disorders

• • Polycythaemia Vera

  • Essential Thrombocytosis

  • Primary Myelofibrosis

  • CML

Platelets

• Thrombocytopenia

  • • ITP (Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura) 

    • TTP (Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura) 

    • Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (Ecoli)

    • Heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT)

    • DIC

    • PNH (paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria) 

    • Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) 

    • Secondary causes

• Thrombocytosis

  • • Essential Thrombocytosis (ET)

    • Reactive Thrombocytosis

• Platelet dysfunctions

  • Von Willebrand Disease 

Erythrocytes (RBC)

• Anaemia

  • AutoImmune Haemolytic Anaemia (AIHA) 

  • Aplastic Anaemia

  • Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia (MAHA)

  • PNH (paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria) 

• Polycythaemia

  • Polycythaemia Vera 

• Haemoglobinopathies

  • Sickle Cell Disease 

  • Thalassemia 

  • G6PD Deficiency

  • Hereditary Spherocytosis 

Mast Cells

Neutrophils

• Sepsis 

• Neutropenic Sepsis 

Eosinophilia

• EGPA (Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis) 

• Aspergillosis 

• Anaphylaxis 

• Acute Interstitial Nephritis 

• Parasites

Lymphocytes (B & T cells)

• Lymphoma 

Plasma Cell Dyscrasias 

• Multiple Myeloma and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Uncertain Significance (MGUS)

• Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinaemia (WM) 

• Amyloidosis

• Cryoglobulinemia

• Hyperviscosity Syndrome

• Paraproteinaemia

Immune related

• Nervous- AI Limbic Encephalitis, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis , Lamberton-Eaton Syndrome, Guillain-Barré Syndrome , Miller Fischer Syndrome,

• Endocrine- T1DM, Hashimoto's, Graves, Addison's, 

• Cardiovascular- pericarditis/ myocarditis / endocarditis, 

  • Vasculitis- (large): GCA/ PMR, TA (Takayasu's Arteritis, (medium): Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN), Kawasaki's Disease, (small): EGPA, GPA, MPA; HSP,

• Respiratory: asthma, ILD, Sarcoidosis, 

• GI- IBD: UC, Crohn's, AI Hepatitis, PBC , PSC , Coeliac Disease , Pernicious anaemia, Pancreatitis

• Urinary- IgA Nephropathy, Poststreptococcal Glomerulonephritis,  Goodpasture's Disease, Acute Interstitial Nephritis,

• MSK- Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematous , Systemic Sclerosis , Sjorgen's Syndrome, Dermato/polymyositis , GPA, EGPA , Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) 

• Haematology- HIT, ITP, Acquired Haemophilia, AIHA

• Skin- psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, Pemphigus, Pemphigoid, Steven Johnson Syndrome (SJS) 

Coagulation

Haemophilia

• Haemophilia A & B

• Acquired Haemophilia

Von Willebrand Disease

Thrombophilia

• Protein C deficiency

• Protein S deficiency

• Antithrombin deficiency (previously thrombin III)

• Factor V Leiden (controversial)

• Homocystinuria

• Prothrombin gene mutation

• Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS)

Spleen

• Splenectomy

• Splenomegaly

Everything Else

• Myelofibrosis 

• End of Life Care 

Clinical

Presentations

• Rashes

• Fatigue

• Night sweats, fevers

Investigations

• FBC

  • Haemoglobin

  • Platelets

  • WCC

    • Neutrophils

• Creatine, urea, Na, K

Management

• Blood products

  • RBC

  • Platelets

  • Reversal anti-coagulations

Wider

Blood transfusions

• Capacity and informed consent

• RBC Complications

• Jehovah's Witness

Resources and References

Written in 2025