Korean J Hematol.  2005 Sep;40(3):177-182. 10.5045/kjh.2005.40.3.177.

A Case of Small Cell Variant of T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia

• Park JE
• Kim KM
• Kim WY
• Park YH
• Oh JE
• Kim YJ
• Park KT

• KMID: 1610812
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5045/kjh.2005.40.3.177

Abstract

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a post-thymic T-cell malignancy that has an aggressive clinical course and it is a distinct clinico-biological entity from other T-cell disorders. It is now apparent that this disease represents a separate entity from CLL. Clinically, T-PLL presents with hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, skin lesion, and marked lymphocytosis exceeding 100x109/L. Because its clinical course is aggressive, the treatment is difficult. We report a case of small cell variant of T-cell with a review of literatures.

Keyword

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia; Small cell variant

MeSH Terms

Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, T-Cell*
Lymphatic Diseases
Lymphocytosis
Skin
T-Lymphocytes*

Figure

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  Fig. 1. (A) Photography of skin lesion. (B), (C) and (D) Dense band-like infiltration of small sized atypical lymphocytes with slightly irregular nuclear contour in papillary dermis and perivascular space (B: H-E stain, × 100, C: H-E stain, × 400, D: Immunohistochemical stain (C D45RO, Zymed, 1:100 dilution, PAP method), × 400).

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  Fig. 2. (A) Mature lymphocytes with condensed chromatin and inconspicuous nucleoli mimicking CLL in peripheral blood (Wright stain, × 400). (B) Same lymphocytes in bone marrow aspiration (Wright stain, × 400). (C) Bone marrow biopsy shows hypercellular marrow with extensive diffuse infiltration of lymphoid cells found at the skin lesion (H-E stain, × 100).

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  Fig. 3. C ytogenetic analysis with bone marrow shows diverse chromosomal abnormalities. (A) add(7q), + 11, der(11;22). (B) + 11, der(11;15), del(16q).

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