Vet Times

Tag: Leukaemia

  • Blood smears – make them a routine test

    Blood smears – make them a routine test

    —

    by

    Blood smear evaluation is an often overlooked, but very important, aspect of an in-house haematology. With the advancement in haematology analysers that can now detect reticulocytes and even band neutrophils, some practitioners are beginning to rely solely on the numerical data alone in evaluating the patient’s blood. The art of blood smear interpretation is on…

  • Lymphocytes, part 4: further tests (PARRty time)

    Lymphocytes, part 4: further tests (PARRty time)

    —

    by

    I’m going to briefly touch upon three extra tests that can help to diagnose lymphoma or lymphoid leukaemia, at least in veterinary medicine. I say “briefly” because they are all complex and highly specialised procedures, all of which I obviously have absolute and full understanding of, but sadly don’t have space to discuss here. Oh…

  • Lymphocytes, part 3: Jane Austen’s mirror

    Lymphocytes, part 3: Jane Austen’s mirror

    —

    by

    Last time I talked about what happens when lymphocytes circumvent the checks and balances of the immune system, and start cloning themselves faster than Emperor Palpatine’s army. Wanton replication with scant regard for other cells is essentially the definition of cancer – in this case lymphoma (if the cells form a solid mass in organs…

  • Lymphocytes, part 2: Attack of the Clones

    Lymphocytes, part 2: Attack of the Clones

    —

    by

    Welcome back to lymphocyte talk. Now, sit still. Don’t fidget. We’re going to learn about what happens when lymphocytes go wrong. Last time, I likened lymphocytes to lovelorn Bridget Joneses, forever searching for the antigen that fits their unique receptor, and then (perhaps a bit less like Bridget Jones) trying to destroy them. They have…

  • The wonder of cells

    The wonder of cells

    —

    by

    Since starting a career in clinical pathology, I have seen a lot of strange and wonderful sights down my microscope… It’s like being given a window into weird new worlds – tiny battlegrounds of leukocytes, tumour cells and microorganisms, against a backdrop of cytokines, stroma and necrosis. It’s not quite Saving Private Ryan, but with…