Hemoblastosis

Hemoblastosis

These are tumor diseases of hematopoietic and lymphatic tissue. They are divided into systemic pathologies (leukemias) and regional (lymphomas). Hemoblastoses are among the five most common tumors, they occupy 30% of the neoplasms of the first 5 years of life among children.
The structure of hemoblastoses includes two groups:
• myeloproliferative pathologies or leukemias (malignant tumors of hematopoietic tissue with primary bone marrow damage);
• hematosarcomas or lymphomas (extra-osseous volumetric formations localized mainly in lymph nodes).
As leukemia and hematosarcoma progress, they can transform into each other.
Leukemias can be acute and chronic, which are divided into myeloproliferative and lymphoproliferative. The group of hematosarcomas includes lymphogranulomatosis and non-lymphogranulomatous/non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas.

Causes of hemoblastosis

Diseases are polyethological in nature, it is believed that their development is associated with the influence of such factors:
• heredity (often occur in representatives of so-called leukemic families, as well as in patients with hereditary pathologies with spontaneous chromosome breaks, non-divergence of sex chromosomes, hereditary defects of immunity);
• mutagenic factors (exo- and endogenous);
• ionizing radiation;
• chemical carcinogens (benzene, cytostatic drugs);
• viruses (Epstein–Barr, T-lymphocytic leukemia virus of the first type).

Symptoms of hemoblastosis

The manifestation of the disease can be acute, resembling ARVI, as well as latent or slow. The most typical signs of hemoblastosis are the following syndromes:
• intoxication (fever, fatigue, sweating, asthenia);
• proliferative (enlargement of inguinal, axillary, cervical lymph nodes, as well as liver and spleen, bone marrow);
• hemorrhagic (cutaneous and submucosal hemorrhages, bleeding from the nose, gums, gastrointestinal tract, DIC syndrome);
• anemic;
• syndrome of infectious complications (nosocomial infections, pneumonia, septicemia on the background of secondary immunodeficiency).

Diagnosis of hemoblastosis

In addition to the clinical picture characteristic of the disease, suspicions of the presence of cancer can cause changes in the hemogram, the general blood test. Patients with suspected hemoblastosis undergo further examination. Ultrasound of the spleen and liver, radiography of the skull, spine, chest, ribs, pelvic bones can also be performed.