Haematologists manage a wide range of haematological (blood) conditions.  Haematological disorders may be either benign or malignant.  The malignant conditions are usually treated by medical oncologists.

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Classification of Haematological Conditions

Benign Haematological Disorders

Red Blood Cell Disorders

• Anaemia (low red blood cell counts)

- due to blood loss, iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, folate deficiency, chronic diseases (eg kidney disease, cancer), certain cancer treatments, aplastic anemia, pregnancy, sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, hemolytic anemia etc.

• Erythrocytosis / Polycythemia (excess red blood cell counts)

- Primary polycythemia (polycythemia vera, polycythemia rubra vera)

- Secondary polycythemia, which may be physiological (eg. altitude related), hypoxic disease associated, genetic, due to renal or liver tumours, pheochromocitoma etc.

White Blood Cell Disorders

• Neutropenia (low white blood cell counts)

- may be due to infections (viral infections, HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, Epstein Barr virus etc), cancer chemotherapy, vitamin deficiencies (megaloblastic anemia due to folate or vitamin B12 deficiency), radiation therapy, diseases of the bone marrow (eg. leukemias, aplastic anemia, myelofibrosis), congenital disorders of the bone marrow (eg. Kostmann syndrome), autoimmune destruction of neutrophils and hypersplenism

• Leukocytosis (excess white blood cell counts)

- Neutrophilia: due to acute bacterial infections, tissue necrosis from myocardial infarction and major burns

- Eosinophilia: due to allergic disorders (asthma, drug allergies etc), parasitic infections, systemic autoimmune disease (eg. SLE), some forms of malignancy (eg. Hodgkin's lymphoma), some forms of vasculitis

- Basophilia (rare): due to myeloproliferative disease

- Lymphocytosis: due to viral infections, chronic infections (eg. tuberculosis)

- Monocytosis: due to chronic infections (et. tuberculosis, malaria, bacterial endocarditis), systemic autoimmune disease (eg. SLE), inflammatory bowel disease)

Platelet Disorders

• Thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts)

- Due to decreased production: sepsis, dengue fever, leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, liver failure, folate or vitamin B12 deficiencies, hereditary syndromes (eg Alport syndrome, congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia, Fanconi anemia)

- Due to increased destruction: indiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), hyperspenism, HIV-associated thrombocytopenia

- Medication induced (eg. chemotherapy drugs, valproic acid, methotrexate, carboplatin, interferon, isotretinoin)

• Thrombocytosis (excess platelet counts)

- Primary thrombocytosis

- Secondary thrombocytosis: inflammation, hypospenism, asplenia, haemorrhage, inflammatory bowel disease, nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, bacterial infections etc.

Coagulation Disorders

• Inherited bleeding disorders eg. Hemophilia, von Willebrand disease

• Acquired coagulation factor disorders eg. vitamin K deficiency, coagulopathies associated with liver disease, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)

• Thromboembolic disorders eg. inherited deficiencies of antithrombin III, protein C and protein S, lupus anticoagulants, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism

Premalignant Blood Disorders

• Myeloproliferative disorders