title: Ribosome-lamella complexes in neoplastic hematopoietic cells.
abstract: The ultrastructural cellular inclusions referred to as ribosome-lamella complexes were observed in the neoplastic cell population of 4 patients with three types of hematopoietic malignancy, monoblastic leukemia. Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, and chronic lymphatic leukemia. The ultrastructural characteristics of the inclusions were similar in the 4 cases. The percentage of cells affected ranged from approximately 90% in 1 patient with monoblastic leukemia to approximately 10% in a patient with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia. The complexes appeared to originate from the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Observations suggested a developmental sequence beginning with aggregate strands of rough endoplasmic reticulum, subsequent alignment of the strands of rough endoplasmic reticulum in a concentric configuration, followed by maturation to fully developed ribosome-lamella complexes. Although the ribosome-lamella complex has been found in the neoplastic cells of several patients with leukemic reticuloendotheliosis ("hairy cell leukemia"), its occurrence in these three different hematopoietic disorders indicates a lack of diagnostic specificity of this structure.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000473:pathology*; D007948:Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / Q000473:pathology*; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000473:pathology*