Hematology

The haematology department treats diseases of the blood and the blood-forming organs. It also deals with disorders of the lymphatic system.

The symptoms patients present with are extremely varied and depend on which organ or blood cells are affected.

Possible symptoms include:

• Skin pallor
• Diminished performance
• Difficulty concentrating
• Tiredness
• Increased tendency to bleed
• Bruises
• Nosebleeds
• Frequent infections
• Bone pain
• Enlarged spleen
• Enlarged liver
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Loss of appetite
• Fever

If you are suffering from one of these symptoms, it may not be due to something serious. These symptoms can be caused by a variety of illnesses. You should visit your family doctor first for an initial consultation. If necessary, he will refer you to the haematology department.

In the haematology department, the doctor talks to the patient. They ask about the reason for their visit and their symptoms.

During the physical examination, they check for swollen lymph nodes, an enlarged liver or an enlarged spleen. They examine the patient’s skin and look for rashes or bruises.

In the haematology department the analysis of the blood is extremely important. Blood will need to be taken at nearly every visit.

Sometimes further consultations are required. The medical specialists take cells from the bone marrow or the lymph nodes. They remove these using a fine needle and analyse them in the laboratory.

With blood cancer (leukaemia), cancer cells multiply in the bone marrow, displacing the normal blood cells. In the haematology department, the doctor can identify the cancer cells by analysing the blood.

Patients with blood cancer may have very unspecific symptoms that also occur with lots of other illnesses. The patients will be pale, tired and also listless. Bleeding gums is a sign of leukaemia and so are bruises on the skin.

In the case of acute leukaemia, the symptoms occur within a few days and are very pronounced. Where the disease takes a chronic course, the patients may not notice anything or may only notice a slight deterioration.

In the haematology department, specialists investigate blood coagulation. Coagulation is the process by which the body stops bleeding following an injury.

Blood cells and coagulation factors stick together during this process, creating a blood clot. This clot seals the injured vessels and the body stops bleeding.

In the case of a coagulation disorder, this process doesn’t work properly.

If there is excessive clotting, then blood clots form within an undamaged vessel. For example, the patient may experience thrombosis in their leg veins.

If there is not enough coagulation, then there is a considerable risk of bleeding. This is the case with haemophilia.

In the case of an iron deficiency, the bone marrow does not produce enough red blood cells. Red blood cells are essential for transporting oxygen.

If there is not enough of them, the patient will be tired, pale and listless. An iron deficiency causes brittle fingernails and hair. You may have cracks in the corners of your mouth (angular cheilitis) and a slight loss of taste in your tongue.

The blood analysis in the haematology department will reveal the extent of the iron deficiency.

We usually absorb iron with our food. If this is not sufficient, the doctor may administer iron in tablet form or through a drip. They will also identify the cause of the increased need for iron and treat possible disorders.