Question

Describe childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and G6PD deficiency and the incidence, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, evaluation, and treatment of each

Answer 1

Childhood Acute Lymphocytic leukemia:

ALL is a type of cancer whereby the bonemarrow is develop immature lymphocytes.

Incidence:

Almost 60% of cases are found in children between 0 to 14 years of age.

Pathophysiology:

The bone marrow develops immature lymphoid stem cell which is responsible for making B-cells, T-cells, and Nature killer cells. These immature cells are unable to fight infection. Thus there are more susceptible to get an infection, anemia, and other disorders.

Clinical manifestations:

• fever
• bruising
• petechiae
• Loss of appetite
• weakness
• lumps in the neck, underarm, and groin.

Treatment:

Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy are used to treat diseases.

Stem cell replacement therapy to develop new mature cells.

Evaluation:

The child is evaluated based on the progress of the disease, alleviation of signs and symptoms, and response to the treatment.

G6PD deficiency

G6PD is a genetic disorder where the red blood cells are broken down and cause anemia. The G6PD deficiency occurs due to illness, pain medications, antibiotics, intake of naphthalene balls.

Incidence:

It mostly transmits through genetic inheritance and commonly seen in males than females.

Pathophysiology:

Exposure to certain triggers results in a defect of the enzyme Glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase. So the red blood cells are destroyed faster resulting in hemolytic anemia.

Clinical manifestations:

• paleness
• whitening of the eyes
• Yellowing of skin
• shortness of breath
• rapid heart rate
• dizziness
• dark color urine.

Treatment:

• treating the infection or stopping the trigger.
• Treating anemia with adequate oxygen and fluids
• Blood transfusion to change healthy red blood cells.
• Give a restricted diet to avoid chemicals in the food.

Evaluation:

The child is evaluated by the G6PD activity, red blood cell count, temperature, and jaundice level. A diagnostic test helps to ​​​​​analyze patient improvement and treatment response.