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Acute Plasma Cell Leukaemia following Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia: Transformation or Two Separate Diseases?
Author(s) -
Fitzgerald P. H.,
Rastrick Joan M.,
Hamer J. W.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1973.tb01727.x
Subject(s) - bone marrow , medicine , chlorambucil , lymphatic system , peripheral blood , pathology , plasma cell , immunology , chemotherapy , cyclophosphamide
S ummary . A 68‐yr‐old woman, a carrier of a Gp‐ (Ch 1 ) constitutional chromosome abnormality, presented with chronic lymphatic leukaemia and was treated with chlorambucil during an 8.5 yr course. The number of lymphocytes in the blood increased steadily during the final 3 yr, and immature lymphocytes were present. During the final 8 days, the WBC count rose extremely rapidly and IgM production was increased. Many blasts and smaller cells having the appearance of plasma cell precursors were present in the blood and bone marrow, and these showed a distinctive long marker chromosome. Acute plasma cell leukaemia was diagnosed. The relationship of the two leukaemias in this patient is examined, and transformation of chronic lymphatic leukaemia to an acute form of leukaemia with disturbed cell differentiation is suggested.