Myeloid diseases

an orientation
Deborah Hay
Lab Medicine Course 2023
By A. Rad and M. Häggström. CC-BY-SA 3.0 license.
 Most of the abnormalities of myeloid
cell counts in the blood are seen in
response to pathology elsewhere

e.g.
• Neutrophilia in infection
• Thrombocytosis in iron deficiency
and infection & inflammation
• Anaemia due to B12 deficiency

Acquired diseases of the myeloid

lineage may result in:

• Failure of this maturation process

granulocytes • Defective maturation
• Out-of-control proliferation

By A. Rad and M. Häggström. CC-BY-SA 3.0 license.

 MYELOID = red cells + platelets + granulocytes, and their precursors in the marrow
(granulocytes = neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils)

Normal blood film:

red cells, platelets and mature neutrophils

Three things can go wrong with myeloid lineage:

Significant acquired genetic Important but less devastating Different acquired genetic
change in a myeloid stem cell acquired genetic change(s) in a change in a stem cell that
that prevents myeloid myeloid stem cell that gives prompts uncontrolled myeloid
maturation defective maturation proliferation

Shabby red cells, Too many mature myeloid cells

No neutrophils; blasts present hypogranular neutrophil (neutrophils in this case)

Images: ASH image bank

very prominent nucleus in blast
 Dr Connor Sweeney, this morning’s lecture Prof Bethan Psaila, Thurs

Myeloproliferative
AML Myelodysplasia
neoplasm

Significant acquired genetic Important but less devastating Different acquired genetic
change in a myeloid stem cell acquired genetic change(s) in a change in a stem cell that
that prevents myeloid myeloid stem cell that gives prompts uncontrolled myeloid
maturation defective maturation proliferation

Shabby red cells, Way too many mature myeloid

No neutrophils; blasts present hypogranular neutrophil cells (neutrophils in this case)

Images: ASH image bank