The blood in systemic disease

Haematological abnormalities are common in systemic disease. Chronic inflammatory conditions, benign or malignant, cause the release of cytokines, which produces the anaemia of chronic disease, often with a reactive thrombocytosis. Autoimmune cytopenias accompany many systemic immune disorders and lymphomas. Liver disease causes coagulation defects through loss of clotting factors. Infections in general cause neutrophilia; specific anaemias may be triggered by particular infections. Knowledge of the haematological abnormalities of systemic disease aids diagnosis and management.