Commonest reason for BM failure. Cancer cells are undifferentiated blasts.
Presentation: BM failure, often systemically unwell, rapid onset and progression, often flu-like illness, sweats, wt loss, anorexia. May have infiltration of other sites (CNS- leukaemic meningitis, testes- painless swelling, gums, skin, thymus- mediastinal mass on CXR, nodes)
Prognostic factors: age (younger=better), sex (females do better), cytogenetics, remission/speed of remission, relapse, blast count in blood, extramedullary disease
Causes: genetic predisposition, haematological disease, irradiation, chemicals (including chemo)
Dx: FBC (pancytopenia), deranged clotting, BM biopsy (diagnostic), tissue biopsy (if infiltration), chromosomal analysis
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