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Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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A number of human diseases are accompanied by a variety of disorders of the blood system, the clinical manifestations of which often completely coincide with the symptoms of the actual blood diseases, specifically studied by hematologists. These signs reflect the violation of erythropoiesis (accompanied by a decrease in the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin), leukopoiesis, thrombocytopoiesis. Often, they are combined, as well as accompanied by symptoms of hemorrhagic diathesis, which can be associated with both thrombocytopoiesis disorders, and changes in blood levels of factors involved in clotting and changes in the vascular wall itself. Although individual clinical signs of hematological diseases can be sufficiently expressed, an important, and often decisive diagnostic value is the laboratory, in particular morphological, research.
It is these methods of blood testing that are usually given the leading place in the diagnosis of hematological diseases. So, in clinical practice, the so-called general blood test is mandatory , which sometimes makes it possible to detect pathology in people who consider themselves healthy. First of all, the hemoglobin content in the blood , the number of erythrocytes and leukocytes (with the leukocyte formula ) are determined ; this analysis includes the definition of ESR. An important place in hematology is also the study of bone marrow tissue, which is obtained by puncture with a special needle.
Hematology is closely related to oncology - a branch of medicine that studies tumor processes of different localization. An important condition for the formation of the profession of a hematologist-oncologist was the progress in the development of basic sciences and chemotherapy, which led to a significant increase in the life expectancy of patients as a result of the successful treatment of acute leukemia, the most malignant disease of the blood system.
The development of leukemias, as well as other types of tumors, that is, carcinogenesis, is increasingly associated with the action of a variety of physical and biological factors, the source of which is the environment surrounding the person (ionizing and ultraviolet radiation, some viruses, for example, T-cell leukemia viruses, Epstein -Barre, hepatitis B and C). At present, a group of cellular genes designated as oncogenes has been identified; chronic myeloid leukemia is associated with the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome.
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