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The morphological spectrum of T‐prolymphocytic leukaemia
Author(s) -
Matutes E.,
Talavera J. Garcia,
O'Brien M.,
Catovsky D.
Publication year - 1986
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.1365-2141.1986.tb07579.x
Subject(s) - cytoplasm , prolymphocytic leukemia , basophilic , organelle , endoplasmic reticulum , biology , nucleolus , pathology , microbiology and biotechnology , leukemia , medicine , immunology , chronic lymphocytic leukemia
S ummary . The morphology of the cells from 29 cases of T‐prolymphocytic leukaemia (T‐PLL) was studied by light (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and was compared with that of 3 3 B‐cell PLL. The membrane phenotype of T‐PLL cells was T4 +, T8 ‐ in two‐thirds of the cases, others being T4‐ T8+ or T4+ T8+. Two morphological types of T‐PLL were defined according to the nuclear features: regular (55% of cases) and irregular (45% of cases). T‐PLL cells with a regular, round or oval, nuclear outline resembled B‐PLL cells but had less abundant cytoplasm and a higher nucleo‐cytoplasmic ratio. Irregular T‐prolympbocytes displayed a distinct convoluted nucleus. A 'small‐cell’variant of T‐PLL was recognized by TEM in six cases in which the diagnosis was uncertain by LM. A characteristic of all types of T‐prolymphocytes by LM was the presence of a deep basophilic cytoplasm which by TEM corresponded to clusters of ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum. No differences in clinico‐haematological features or membrane markers were apparent between the morphological types of T‐PLL, although it was noted that the three T4‐ T8+ cases had irregular cells and four of the small cell variant were T3‐ T4+. TEM permits a more precise assessment of the cytoplasmic organelles and nucleolus than LM analysis and facilitates the distinction between T‐PLL and other leukaemias with a mature T‐cell phenotype, namely adult T‐cell leukaemia/lymphoma, Sezary syndrome and T‐chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.