Leukopenia Essay

low platelet count and low white blood cell count. In reference to Mr. J.’s symptoms and CBC results additional diagnostic labs were ordered.

Polycythemia Vera is the most common form and the frequency of the condition is 1-2 individuals affected per over 100,000. The problem is often linked to a gene defect called JAK2V617F and the cause/mechanism of the defect is unknown. Another form of polycythemia, Chuvash, causes abnormalities in the VHL protein and prevents HIF-1α from binding and degrading under normal oxygen conditions. Thus, even under normoxic conditions, an individual would have elevated HIF, EPO, and red blood cell levels (i.e. erythrocytosis). Early stages of polycythemia do not show any signs, but as the disease progresses symptoms start to appear. Individuals may get frequent headaches, weakness, dizziness, and/or tinnitus. Other symptoms include excessive itching, enlarged spleen and/or liver, hypertension, thrombosis, hemorrhaging, and sometimes obstruction of hepatic

People who have Myelodysplastic Syndrome may not experience symptoms at the beginning of the disease. However, there are three main signs that can develop and alert healthcare providers that something is wrong. One of these is a low red blood cell count, or Anemia. Most patients that have myelodysplastic syndromes exhibit this indicator when first diagnosed. A normal red blood count can vary between 4.0 and 6.1 million red blood cells per microliter of blood in the body, depending on the age and sex of the patient. A red blood cell count lower than normal is characteristic of Anemia (Cafasso, Jacquelyn, and Gotter). Not only is Anemia shown by constantly low hematocrit, but it can also be characterized by constantly low hemoglobin. A normal hemoglobin count is between 12.0 and 15.5 grams per deciliter of blood for females, and 13.5 to 17.5 grams per deciliter of blood for males. Levels lower than these show a low hemoglobin level (Mayo Clinic, Hemoglobin Test). Hemoglobin is the protein in blood that carries oxygen to the different tissues in the body.

Transient erythroblastopenia of childhood occurs when the body temporarily stops making red blood cells. When this happens, the number of red blood cells in the body gradually falls below normal. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the tissues of the body. When there are fewer red blood cells than normal (anemia), not enough oxygen is carried to the tissues. Transient erythroblastopenia of childhood goes away on its own, usually within 1–2 months. Children who have had the condition once usually will not have it again.

Symptoms of ITP can range dramatically from patient to patient. One of the many symptoms is low blood platelet count. Blood platelets are important for the body: they essentially form clots in the blood to stop bleeding. (3: SV: SV.) According to Michael A. Silverman, author of the article “Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura” posted on Medscape, “Relative marrow failure may contribute to this condition, since studies show that most patients have either normal or diminished platelet production” (1). In other words, a delayed making of marrow is present in most patients with ITP and aids in this disease. Because of this, blood platelets cannot be made as accurately as a normal body would make them. Other symptoms include easy bruising and petechiae (Idiopathic 1). Easy bruising can result from blood vessels becoming weak; consequently, the slightest touch can break them, forming a bruise. (1a: SV; consequently,

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, is the disease that affects children the most and because of the abnormal cells that are immature white blood cells which cannot help the body fight infections cause children with the disease to often get infections and have fevers (National Cancer Institute, 2002, p. 1). The symptoms that the patient with ALL may have depend on the number of abnormal cells of the patient where exactly the cells collect. Children patients with ALL have low amounts of healthy red blood cells and platelets, which cause less oxygen to be carried through the body because of the lack of red blood cells. Patients at times may look pale, feel weak, and tired causing bleeding and bruising very easily because of their lack of enough platelets. This condition is called anemia. Anemia is very much common in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Fever, fatigue, bone or joint pain, tiny red spots under the skin called petechiae are a couple of symptoms that the disease ALL has. Headaches with, or without vomiting also may occur if patient happens to have abnormal cells collecting in the brain or spinal cord (National Cancer Institute, 2002 para. 2).

Myelodysplastic syndromes occur when blood cells are misshapen and dysfunctional. These syndromes generally do not cause symptoms in the beginning, but as they progress the signs and symptoms make themselves known. Some symptoms include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, pallor, petechiae, abnormal bleeding and bruising, and

Polycythemia or also known as Polycythaemia or Polyglobulia, is a disease state in which the hematocrit (the volume percent of RBC in the blood) is >55%. Dorland's Medical Dictionary It can be due to an increase in the number of RBC, this condition is Absolute Polycythemia. If there is a decrease in the volume of plasma, it is Relative Polycythemia. Sometime PV is Referred to as Erythrocytosis even though the words are not synonymous because Polycythemia refers to any increase in the RBC and Erythrocytosis refers to a documented increase of red cell mass.

First of all, fanconi anemia is known to severely damage the bone marrow. This is why the most common treatment associated with this disease is marrow stem cell transplantation.

Myelodysplatic syndromes are a group of blood and bone marrow disorders. In MDS, the stem cells do not mature as expected, and the number of immature cells and abnormally developed cells increase, which then leads the healthy mature cells to decrease. So then that causes the bone marrow to not work well or stop working all together. Because of the decrease in the healthy cells, people with MDS often have anemia, a low red blood cell count or they may also have neutropenia, a low white blood cell count, and thrombocytopenia, a low platelet count. The chromosomes in the bone marrow cells may be abnormal, but sometimes the numbers of blood cells can be normal, while the blood and bone marrow cells are still abnormal. MDS is classified into several different subtypes, depending on blood cell counts, the percentage of blasts in the bone marrow, and the risk that

The clinical presentation of patients with aplastic anemia includes symptoms related to the decrease in bone marrow production of hematopoietic cells. Specific manifestations include pallor, headache, palpitations, dyspnea, fatigue, or ankle edema (Porth, 2015). Signs and symptoms of aplastic anemia may include nosebleeds and bleeding gums, frequent or prolonged infections, and pharyngeal ulcerations. Patients with aplastic anemia commonly present with symptoms of pallor, headache, palpitations, dyspnea, easy bruising and fatigue (Porth, 2015). Other symptoms include visual disturbance due to retinal hemorrhage, petechial rashes, SOB with exertion, dizziness (Porth, 2015). Patients with aplastic anemia also present with jaundice and evidence of clinical hepatitis (Porth, 2015). Obtaining work history, solvent exposure, as well as a family, environmental, and infectious disease history (Musser, 2006). The clinical presentation of

The body has checks and balances in place to prevent fluctuations in neutrophil numbers, but during times of infection, acute inflammation, or stress neutrophil numbers increase to fight the issue at hand. However, a decline in neutrophil number, known as neutropenia, can have detrimental effects. Neutropenia is problematic for patients undergoing chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Patients experiencing frequent and prolonged periods of neutropenia become susceptible to opportunistic bacterial or fungal infection. Current treatment for neutropenia include stimulating white blood cell production by granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) injections and/or antimicrobial treatment, but due to the loss of bone marrow function in some patients and the unresponsiveness of microbes to antimicrobial treatments, these treatments often fail and lead to high rates of morbidity and mortality in patients.

The last scenario and blood disorder is Spencer, who over the past several weeks is having more bruises, or ecchymosis, all over his body. After coughing this morning, Spencer noticed tiny red marks all around his eyes. Spencer is showing signs of thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia is a condition of the blood in which the blood doesn’t clot properly because there are not enough platelets. This condition can be caused by many different things such as decreased platelet production, increased platelet

Chemotherapy regimens vary based on the clinical status and medical history of patients. The objective of chemotherapy is to stabilize the normal blood cell counts and the normal hematopoiesis to be less than 5% blast cells in the bone marrow (Overview of Leukemia - Hematology and Oncology - Merck Manuals Professional Edition, “n.d.”). Moreover, chemotherapy targets to limit or elicit cloning of leukemic cells. Patients with bleeding, anemia, and neutropenia are provided with transfusion of platelets, RBCs, and granulocytes. Immunosuppressive and neutropenic patients are administered antimicrobials to prevent serious progression of infection. Under chemotherapy, patients can experience hyperuricemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcemia, and hyperkalemia due to leukemic cell ruptures hence monitoring and providing hydration and electrolyte, and level of urine alkalinization is required. Furthermore, revival of leukemic cells in the bone marrow, the CNS, the testes, or other sites is threatening. Chemotherapy may not be most effective treatment or permanent cure. Therefore, stem cell transplantation offers effective and long-term cure if patient can find matching stem cells to be transferred. “Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is a rapidly evolving technique that offers a potential cure for hematologic cancers (leukemias, lymphomas, myeloma) and other hematologic disorders (eg, primary immunodeficiency, aplastic anemia, myelodysplasia).” (Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Leukemia - Hematology and Oncology - - Merck Manuals Professional Edition,

After its partial withdrawal from most Lebanese territory in 1978 following Operation Litani, Israel maintained a military occupation of roughly 10% of Lebanon through a self-declared nine-mile deep “security zone” in the southern part of the country (Ruebner, 2000: 1). The “security zone” was designed to act as a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon, in order to minimize cross-border attacks (Ibid). In defending the “security zone” with the IDF, the SLA bore a large share of the fighting against Hizballah (Party of God) and to a lesser extent, Amal (Hope), two Lebanese Shi’a organizations that fought to oust Israel from the “security zone” (Ruebner, 2000: 2).