CPD: Acute leukaemia – Essential Blood Cell Morphology

The course will cover the following topics in detail:

1. Introduction and basic concepts: This section serves as an introduction to acute leukemia, providing a foundational understanding of the disease. You will learn about the key concepts related to acute leukemia, including its definition, aetiology, and epidemiology. 

2. Clinical approach to acute leukemia: Here, you will explore the clinical approach to patients with suspected acute leukemia. You will learn about the signs and symptoms commonly associated with acute leukemia, as well as the diagnostic workup, which may involve laboratory tests, imaging studies, and bone marrow examination. 

3. Diagnosis and classification of acute leukemia: This section will focus on the diagnostic process and classification of acute leukemia. You will learn about the various laboratory tests, including blood tests and bone marrow examination, used to establish the diagnosis of acute leukemia. Additionally, the classification systems for acute leukemia, such as the French-American-British (FAB) classification, the International Consensus Classification (ICC) and World Health Organization (WHO) classification, will be discussed. The importance of accurate diagnosis and classification for treatment planning will be emphasised.

4. General morphology of blast cells: You will gain an understanding of the general morphological features of blast cells, which are immature and undifferentiated cells typically seen in acute leukemia. You will learn about the key characteristics observed in blast cells, such as their size, nuclear morphology and cytoplasmic features. This knowledge will provide a foundation for further exploration into the specific types of acute leukemia.

5. Morphology of acute myeloid leukemia: This section will focus on the morphological features specific to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). You will learn about the characteristic appearances of blast cells in AML, including their nuclear and cytoplasmic features. Additionally, you will explore the different subtypes of AML based on their morphology and genetic abnormalities, such as M3 (acute promyelocytic leukemia) or M5 (acute monocytic leukemia).

6. Morphology of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and aggressive lymphomas: You will learn about the distinct characteristics of blast cells in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including their size, nuclear morphology, and immunophenotypic markers. Furthermore, you will explore the morphological features observed in aggressive lymphomas, such as Burkitt lymphoma/leukaemia, which can sometimes present with blast-like cells.

7. Morphology of miscellaneous leukemias: This section will cover the morphological features of various miscellaneous leukemias that do not fit into the traditional categories. The unique morphological characteristics and diagnostic considerations for these rare leukemias will be discussed.

We will use video tutorials with English captions and an end-of-course assessment that awards a certificate upon successful completion.

It is estimated this course will take you 1-2 hours to complete.

The target audience for this course are:

• Biomedical scientists/medical laboratory scientists
• Haematology trainees and consultants
• Haematopathology trainees and specialists

Your course certificate will be available for download after successfully completing the course assessment. If you have difficulty downloading your certificate, please email admin@blood-academy.com for further assistance.

By accessing this website and participating in this course, you agree to the conditions outlined in our ‘Terms of Use’ and ‘Privacy Policy’ pages. We strongly recommend you review these pages.