Haematological Pathology

Microcytic, normocytic and macrocytic, each with a short differential

A memory aid for classifying anaemia by red cell size.

Each morphological abnormality points to a specific diagnosis

A memory aid for the diagnostic features on a blood film.

Sickle is a qualitative defect, thalassaemia a quantitative one

A memory aid for sickle cell disease and the thalassaemias.

Raised reticulocytes, bilirubin and LDH with low haptoglobin

A memory aid for the markers of haemolysis.

Hodgkin has Reed-Sternberg cells and spreads contiguously; non-Hodgkin does not

A memory aid for distinguishing the two groups of lymphoma.

Haemophilia bleeds into joints, von Willebrand from mucosa

A memory aid for haemophilia and von Willebrand disease.

ALL in children, AML in adults, CLL in the elderly, CML in middle age

A memory aid for the four main leukaemias by age and lineage.

CRAB: Calcium raised, Renal failure, Anaemia, Bone lesions

A mnemonic for the clinical features of multiple myeloma.

Polycythaemia vera, essential thrombocythaemia, myelofibrosis and CML

A memory aid for the chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

Reduced production, increased destruction, sequestration or dilution

A memory aid for classifying a low platelet count.