MCQ Hematology Answer 4

• The majority of patients will have lymphadenopathy. About half of the patients will have hepatosplenomegaly, as in this case.
  
• In chronic lymphocytic leukemia there is a lymphocytosis with mature looking cells. The WBC is usually elevated, with the vast majority of cells lymphocytes.
  
• Smudge cells are cells that have been destroyed during the slide preparation.
  
• They are damaged during the preparation of the slide because they are more fragile than normal cells.
  
• Smudge cells are seen in acute leukemias.
• In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (choice a) there would be numerous blast cells in the peripheral smear. ALL tends to occur in children with an average age of 4 (however, it can occur in adults).
• In acute myelogenous leukemia (choice b) there would be numerous blast cells in the peripheral smear. AML tends to strike adults. The presence of Auer rods indicates AML.
• The laboratory findings in chronic myelogenous leukemia (choice d) would show an elevated granulocytic count. The Philadelphia chromosome is positive in the vast majority (90-95%) of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia.
• Hairy cell leukemia has distinctive (choice e) cells present in the peripheral blood smear, called 'hairy cells'

Category: Hematology MCQs