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Pathology · Haematopathology
Sample itemWhich peripheral-blood finding should raise concern for acute leukaemia and prompt urgent haematology evaluation?
Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.
The answer and the reasoning
B. Circulating blasts with cytopenias
Acute leukaemia often releases immature blast cells into blood and suppresses normal marrow production, producing anaemia, thrombocytopenia, infection risk, or bleeding that require urgent specialist assessment.
Option by option
A. Normal mature red-cell morphology
Normal red-cell morphology does not suggest acute leukaemia.
B. Circulating blasts with cytopenias (correct)
Correct: blasts plus cytopenias are a concerning acute-leukaemia pattern.
C. Mild isolated eosinophilia after allergy
Mild allergy-related eosinophilia is not the same as circulating blasts.
D. High HDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol does not diagnose marrow malignancy.
Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.
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