ABSTRACT
Intravascular hemolysis of any etiology is a common triggering event for disseminated intravascular coagulation. Disseminated intravascular coagulation is not a disease entity, but rather an intermediary mechanism of disease that is usually seen in association with the well-defined clinical entities. This syndrome spans all areas of medicine and represents a wide clinical spectrum that remains confusing to many with respect to clinical as well as laboratory diagnosis and therapy. Patients with leukemias of either an acute or chronic variety are candidates for disseminated intravascular coagulation. The most common acute leukemia which is associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation is that of acute hypergranular promyelocytic leukemia. Hemolytic uremic syndrome, like eclampsia, shares the same pathophysiology as disseminated intravascular coagulation; however, the process often remains organ-specific and localized to the renal microvasculature. Laboratory findings of the disseminated intravascular coagulation may be highly variable and are difficult to interpret unless the pathophysiology of this disorder is firmly understood.
