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PA18.1-2 | Welcome to Acute Leukaemias — AML & ALL
Learning Objectives
- Define leukaemia and distinguish acute from chronic leukaemia based on blast percentage and clinical course.
- Describe the aetiology and pathogenesis of acute leukaemias, including the concept of maturation arrest.
- Classify AML and ALL using WHO criteria; recall FAB subtypes for historical context.
- Identify the defining morphological, cytochemical, and immunophenotypic features of AML versus ALL.
- Recognise the key cytogenetic abnormalities in AML (t(15;17), t(8;21), inv(16)) and ALL (t(9;22), TEL-AML1, hyperdiploidy) and their prognostic implications.
- Describe the clinical features arising from marrow failure and leukaemic infiltration in acute leukaemias.
- Interpret the haematologic indices and bone marrow findings required for diagnosis.
- Recognise tumour lysis syndrome as an oncological emergency in acute leukaemia.
INSTRUCTIONS
Acute leukaemias are among the most time-critical diagnoses in medicine: a missed blast on a peripheral smear can cost a life. For a Year-2 student, this module builds the pathological scaffold—why blasts accumulate, how AML differs from ALL at the bench, and why cytogenetics now dictate treatment. The clinical correlations here will recur throughout your medicine and paediatrics postings.
References
- Robbins & Kumar: Basic Pathology, 11th Ed., Ch. 13 — Diseases of White Blood Cells (textbook)
- Harsh Mohan: Textbook of Pathology, 8th Ed., Ch. 30 — Disorders of Leucocytes (textbook)
Version 2.0 | NMC CBUC 2024