A 2-year-old girl, "Evie", is being seen by a hematologist. The child's symptoms include the sudden onset
of high fevers, thrombocytopenia, epistaxis, gingival bleeding, petechiae, and ecchymoses after minor
traumas. The physician has ordered a bone marrow aspiration to confirm the clinical diagnosis of acute
lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). If the diagnosis is positive, the child will be placed immediately on intensive
chemotherapy. The physician has informed the parents that treatment produces remission in 90% of
children with ALL, especially those between the ages of 2 and 8.
Respond to the following prompts about this case:1. Define the bold terms in the text. (5 points)
- What pathological condition does the hematologist suspect? Look this condition up in a reference
source and include a short description of it. (3 points)
- What diagnostic test did the physician perform? Describe it in your own words. (3 points)
- Explain the phrase "clinical diagnosis" in our own words. (3 points)
- If the suspected diagnosis is correct, explain the treatment that will begin. (3 points)
- What do you think the term remission means? (3 points)
Sample Solution