Overview

Haematology is a branch of medicine concerning the study of blood, the blood-forming organs, and blood diseases. The word ‘heme’ comes from the Greek for blood.

Haematology is practised by specialists in the field who deal with the diagnosis, treatment and overall management of people with blood disorders ranging from anaemia to blood cancer.

Some of the diseases treated by haematologists include:

• Iron deficiency anaemia and other types of anaemia such as sickle cell anaemia or trauma-related anaemia
• Polycythemia or excess production of red blood cells
• Myelofibrosis
• Leukemia
• Platelet and bleeding disorders such as hemophilia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and Von Willebrand disease
• The myelodysplastic syndromes
• Hemoglobinopathies such as thalassemia and sickle cell disease
• Multiple myeloma
• Malignant lymphomas
• Blood transfusion
• Bone marrow stem cell transplantation