A blood test for leukemia in children is the fastest and most reliable way to detect a tumor in the hematopoietic system. When studying the formula, specialists quickly determine the type along with the degree of development of the disease, and also prescribe effective therapy for the destruction of cancer cells in the future.
Leukemia is a systemic blood disease; against its background, unripe blast cells, which are no longer able to protect the immune system from invasion of bacteria and viruses from the outside, quickly and actively multiply. Healthy white blood cells, which are designed to protect the blood from infection, should be kept within normal limits. An increase in their norm leads to the development of leukocytosis, and a decrease in leukopenia. In our article, we consider the features and decoding of a blood test for leukemia in children.
Signs of pathology
Any deviation from the norm of the number of leukocytes is always a clear sign of the pathological process in the hematopoiesis system. It is quite simple to identify signs of leukemia in a child by a blood test. White blood cells begin the process of uncontrolled and rapid division. The picture of blood in this case is completely modified. In the blood composition, cells modified in appearance begin to prevail, which thereby displace viable and normal red blood cells, and, in addition, platelets from the bone marrow.
Cytopenia is considered the main sign in a blood test for leukemia in children, when there is a deficiency of red bodies in the blood, which indicates an excessively rapid spread of metastases, which can lead to malfunctioning of almost all organs and systems. Factors that are provocateurs include:
- The presence of a viral infection that invaded the red bone marrow, which leads to malignant processes.
- The influence of the hereditary factor when leukemia was previously diagnosed in close relatives.
- The effect of chemical compounds and certain drugs.
- Radiation exposure in cases of chromosome damage.
Depending on the total number of affected white blood cells or the presence of proteins on the surface of the tumor-like body, the ailment can develop in acute, but also in a chronic form.
Acute blood counts
A blood test for leukemia in children allows us to establish that blast cells turn into leukemia infected bodies. In order to recognize the disease, patients are assigned primarily a general study. The main indicators for acute leukemia in children in a blood test are as follows:
- An excessive drop in hemoglobin is almost three times.
- The development of transfusion, which requires immediate hospitalization.
- Reducing the hematocrit, and at the same time the number of red blood cells.
- A decrease in platelet count is two times lower than the established norm.
- Reducing the number of reticulocytes.
- Decreased lymphocyte growth.
- The absolute absence of basophils and eosinophils in the blood.
- The emergence of young immature and unformed cells, i.e. blasts.
- A sharp increase in ESR. So the symptoms of leukemia by a blood test can be determined.
All this allows you to detect an ailment in a child and diagnose a patient beforehand, however, the signs in the presence of leukemia can be similar to some other diseases. It is possible to detect an ailment in a child in the following cases:
- If myeloblasts are found in the test material.
- If there are signs of thrombocytopenia, when the gums often bleed in children for no reason, and bruises occur on the body with bruising.
- The increased content of eosinophils and lymphocytes.
- The development of anemia in a child.
According to a blood test, the symptoms of leukemia in children are detected very often.
Abnormalities in the analysis of leukemia
Deviations in the blood test, in fact, are characteristic not only of children, but also of adult patients. But, depending on the age of the child, the norms of indicators may vary slightly. In this regard, the results of the study are interpreted taking into account the established norms.
In any case, in the presence of acute forms, the blood counts during the development of leukemia in children change too much, therefore, no matter how the norms for children of different ages differ, the values still go far beyond the established boundaries. It is worth noting that children suffer from acute forms of this disease most often.
Features of childhood leukemia
The indicators of a blood test for the symptoms of leukemia in children are often nonspecific and indicate the presence of an infectious disease, rather than oncology. A general analysis of the biomaterial is necessarily carried out during diagnosis. At the same time, a clear failure in the hematopoietic system is observed in children, along with a drop in reticulocytes to thirty percent.
What other features and signs of leukemia are there in a blood test?
It is difficult to characterize the values of platelets for reasons of inconsistency of their level. At the initial stage of the disease, their number remains within the normal range, but during the progression of the disease the number of these cells decreases, and during periods of remission it rises sharply.
Red blood cell counts for leukemia in children erythrocyte counts indicate the development of monoblastic leukemia, and, in addition, they speak of promyelocytic erythromyelosis. Against this background, the indicators of leukocytes and immature cells in the bone marrow and blood in the presence of leukemia are overestimated.
One of the main indicators of the development of leukemia in a child is considered to be an almost three-fold increase in the level of leukocytes, however, a deviation upwards is not always observed in the blood. This is observed with an intermediate form of the disease, when the white blood cells disappear for a while and a leukemic failure is recorded. Against the background of all this, acute leukemia develops. In the presence of a chronic form, blast pathological cells are completely absent or their number is minimal. Detected lymphoblastic leukemia in children by a blood test is diagnosed at the age of two to five years, when the following pathological signs are evident:
- The development of anemia in a child.
- The occurrence of drowsiness, and, in addition, apathy.
- Absolute lack of appetite, along with constant malaise and bleeding from the mucous membrane.
- Enlarged and sore axillary lymph nodes, and, in addition, in the groin and neck as well.
- An increase in a child's temperature without any reason.
- The presence of soreness in the hypochondrium on the right side.
- An increase in the size of the spleen and liver.
- The absolute inability of the body in the face of infections and viruses.
It is for these reasons that children can very quickly catch not just a cold, but often pneumonia along with cystitis or bronchitis. In addition, a decrease in appetite in combination with suppression of the immune system leads to the development of severe anemia, and the following symptoms arise from this:
- The occurrence of drowsiness and fatigue, and at the same time weakness.
- The presence of bleeding gums and soreness in the bones of the joints.
- Frequent fever.
What other blood test shows leukemia in children?
Additional studies for leukemia
If a child develops a disease such as leukemia, the following additional studies can be carried out:
- Conducting a blood myelogram using a sternal puncture fence when the number of blast progressive bodies is exceeded in the biomaterial.
- Carrying out cytogenetic, cytochemical and immunological studies.
- Submission of a blood test for biochemistry in order to detect abnormalities in the performance of the liver and other organs. In this case, the degree of exposure of leukemic cells to internal organs is established.
- When taking a puncture, the reaction of the affected tissue particles to the reagent administered is taken into account in order to clarify the diagnosis, since the symptoms of leukemia may initially be insignificant.
Diagnosis of leukemia in children by a blood test should be timely.
The prognosis of leukemia in children
With the development of such a terrible disease in a child, it is necessary to start treatment in a timely manner. Children must be redirected to a consultation with neurologists and ophthalmologists to confirm or to refute neuroleukemia.
The most dangerous for children aged two to eight years is the development of an acute form of lymphoblastic leukemia with the appearance of signs of neuroleukemia, lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. True, the outcome may turn out to be quite favorable if there is a small amount of lymphoblastic cells in the blood. But, unfortunately, one cannot speak of absolute recovery.
Only in the absence of complications, doctors manage to achieve a stable remission. Children are subject to full control by specialists. The main goal for leukemia is to fight leukemia cells. In addition, it is equally important to bring the blood test to normal, increase the body's resistance, and at the same time instill in the child a belief in the cure of this insidious disease.
What blood test for leukemia in children is carried out, now we know. The following is a transcript.
Decoding analysis in children
When decoding the analysis, the following general signs of the presence of leukemia in children can be distinguished:
- Hemoglobin in children with this disease drops almost three times. In acute forms, such a drop is especially large. True, not every drop of this blood element means that the child has leukemia. In this regard, when decoding the analysis, the doctor needs to be very careful, as there are other reasons for the sharp drop in hemoglobin. But in the event that there was no severe blood loss or, for example, exposure to ionizing radiation, then the drop in hemoglobin, of course, is the reason for further serious examinations of the child's body. In the presence of an acute form of leukemia, the hemoglobin in the child will not only be reduced, but will be in a great decline. Thus, its values can be almost three times lower than the minimum norm. Such indicators already serve as the basis for immediate hospitalization of the child with subsequent blood transfusion. True, it is also worth noting that at the initial stage of this ailment, the amount of hemoglobin can remain for some time within normal limits.
- Reducing hematocrit and decreasing red blood cell count. Moreover, such a decrease can be very sharp.
- A decrease in the number of platelets, their level in this disease in children, drops significantly. Such a fall can be extremely strong, almost four to five times lower than the minimum normal range. It is this intensity of lowering the level of platelets that provokes the appearance of causeless bleeding, and, in addition, against the background of this, permanent bruises with bruising on the skin can appear.
- Reducing the number of reticulocytes. The so-called precursor cells of red blood cells.
- Change in the number of lymphocytes. This can either increase, or, conversely, fall, but can never be within the normal range for this disease. It is increased or decreased directly depends on the stage of the disease and on its type.
- The complete absence of eosinophils and basophils.
Leukemic failure
And finally, the main thing that should alert any doctor when decoding the analysis is a leukemic failure. With leukemic failure in the blood, an excessive presence of young cells and a small number of mature forms are noted. Transient cells are absent, or are observed in small quantities. It is this condition that is considered characteristic of general leukemia. In addition, when decrypting, it is additionally compulsory that it is additionally evaluated to show ESR, that is, the speed with which red blood cells settle. I must say that ESR in the presence of such a disease in a child always increases significantly.
Recommendations
As part of the recommendations, it should be noted that it is imperative to reduce risk factors. Any influence that increases the likelihood of a child becoming ill with leukemia is considered such. These include bad habits along with unhealthy diets and hours of sun exposure. Genetic risk factors also play an equally important role. Patients receiving intensive care in order to suppress immune functions have an increased risk of developing tumors, especially the lymphoid system and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, including.
Children with a well-known risk factor for leukemia, for example, in the presence of Down Syndrome, must undergo mandatory careful periodic monitoring.
It is very important to avoid a sharp change in climatic conditions, and, in addition, physiotherapeutic treatment, so as not to provoke relapses of leukemia in children. Vaccination prophylaxis is carried out according to an individual calendar, taking into account the epidemic situation.
Conclusion
Leukemia is a terrible disease, accompanied by a violation of bone marrow hematopoiesis, and, in addition, the replacement of healthy cells with immature blast cells of the white blood cell series. According to statistics, out of one hundred thousand children, about four thousand suffer from this disease. Among pediatric oncological pathologies, the proportion of cases of leukemia is thirty percent, blood cancer often affects babies aged two to five years. Recently, the incidence of small patients is growing more and more, and at the same time, high mortality remains. In the presence of an acute form of leukemia, the child's life expectancy is no more than two years. In ninety-seven cases out of a hundred, children are diagnosed with acute leukemia. Most often, leukemia is a congenital disease.
We examined what a blood test shows in a child with leukemia.