The Korean Journal of Cytopathology (대한세포병리학회지)

The Korean Society for Cytopathology (대한세포병리학회)
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Cytologic Features of Ascitic Fluid Complicated by Small Cell Variant T-cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia -A Case Report -

복수를 침범한 소세포형 T-세포 전림프구성 백혈병의 세포소견 -1예 보고-

  • Han, Jee-Young (Department of Pathology, Inha University Hospital and College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Jin-Soo (Hemato-oncology division in Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University Hospital and College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Dong-Hoon (Department of Pathology, Dankook University Hospital) ;
  • Kim, Lucia (Department of Pathology, Inha University Hospital and College of Medicine) ;
  • Park, In-Suh (Department of Pathology, Inha University Hospital and College of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Joon-Mee (Department of Pathology, Inha University Hospital and College of Medicine) ;
  • Chu, Young-Chae (Department of Pathology, Inha University Hospital and College of Medicine) ;
  • Choi, Suk-Jin (Department of Pathology, Inha University Hospital and College of Medicine)
  • 한지영 (인하대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 김진수 (인하대학교 의과대학 내과학교실 혈액종양분과) ;
  • 김동훈 (단국대학교 병원 병리과) ;
  • 김루시아 (인하대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 박인서 (인하대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 김준미 (인하대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 주영채 (인하대학교 의과대학 병리학교실) ;
  • 최석진 (인하대학교 의과대학 병리학교실)
  • Published : 2008.09.30
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Abstract

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare, mature T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder with a post-thymic mature T-cell phenotype. The disease is characterized by rapidly rising lymphocytosis, lym-phadenopathy, and splenomegaly. The clinical course is usually aggressive and progresses with frequent skin lesions and serous effusions. In 25% of cases, leukemic cells are small and tumor cells may not have a discrete nucleolus under light microscopy. Although the presence of characteristic cytoplasmic protrusions or blebs in tumor cells is a common morphologic finding in the peripheral blood film irrespective of the nuclear features, small cell variants lacking the typical nuclear features can cause diagnostic problems in clinical cytology. Furthermore, the small leukemic cells can share some cytologic findings with lymphocyte-rich serous effusions caused by non-neoplastic reactive lymphocytosis as well as other small lymphocytic lymphoproliferative disorders. Here, we describe the cytological findings of ascitic fluid complicated by small cell variant T-PLL in a 54-year-old man, the cytology of which was initially interpreted as small lymphocytic malignancy such as small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Keywords

References

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