Acute Leukemia - Clinical Medicine

Explore the comprehensive clinical aspects of acute leukemia in this detailed lecture presented by Professor Zach Murphy. Learn to differentiate between acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), examining their distinct cellular origins, epidemiology, and associated risk factors including genetic mutations, prior chemotherapy exposure, and congenital disorders. Understand the pathophysiology of how disrupted hematopoiesis leads to rapid blast cell proliferation and the resulting clinical manifestations such as anemia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, bone pain, and CNS involvement. Discover the diagnostic approach through laboratory findings like pancytopenia and circulating blasts, along with essential diagnostic tools including peripheral smear, bone marrow biopsy, flow cytometry, and cytogenetic studies. The lecture concludes with treatment strategies covering chemotherapy protocols and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation options for high-risk or relapsed cases.