22 April 2020 (Wednesday0 - ASH Newsletter

The American Society of Hematology sent their monthly newsletter today. You can read it by clicking here.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m very grateful that I get free access to it. Background reading is always very useful and always gratefully received. But am I *that* naïve in hoping that they might focus more on the technical and less on the clinical occasionally?

22 April 2020 (Wednesday) - Neutropenic?

I was presented with this case when peering down the microscope today.

H,20.1234567.L       R 22.04.20  Clin. det. Anorexia nervosa/eating disorder                       HBM   WBCM    PLT    HCT   RBCM   MCVM   MCHM  MCHCM    RDW      N 130219      148   2.36    132  0.448   5.00   89.6   29.6    330   12.3   1.08 270219      136   2.49    137  0.393   4.39   89.5   31.0    346   12.7   1.16 060319 F    148   2.92    161  0.448   4.84   92.6   30.6    330   12.9   1.56 220420 F    148   2.64     86  0.435   4.71   92.4   31.4    340   11.7   1.03               L      M      E      B   RETP   RETA    IRF    NUC     GF    ESR 130219     0.99   0.24   0.03   0.02                                           270219     1.03   0.25   0.03   0.02                                           060319 F   1.05   0.25   0.03   0.03                                           220420 F   1.25   0.30   0.03   0.03

The blood count showed a persistent neutropenia which was confirmed down the microscope. Nothing looking odd or nasty; just not many neutrophils.

Then I looked at the diagnosis… did this ring any bells?

About a third of people with anorexia nervosa have a mild to moderate neutropenia resulting from bone marrow atrophy which is resolved once the easting disorder is also resolved.

I’m seeing a lot of ongoing neutropenias… I wonder if this is more widespread than you might think?

20 April 2020 (Monday) - Oxford Academic Newsletter

A while back I joined the Oxford Academic Health Science Network. They sent their newsletter today.

I can’t pretend I was expecting it to be of direct relevance to my daily round. I signed up hoping for something which would be more of background interest, and that what it seems to be. This one focussed on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (as if anyone focusses on anything else right now) but I’m not complaining. Something for nothing is always welcome…