title: Leukaemic conversion of non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomata.
abstract: In 143 patients with poorly differentiated lymphosarcoma, leukaemic conversion has been observed in 25. The cytological type was prolymphocytic or lymphoblastic or lymphoblastoid (immunoblastic ?). Twenty-five patients were treated with chemo-radiotherapy, followed by active immunotherapy as if they had primary acute lymphoid leukaemia. A complete remission was obtained in 11. Four are still in first complete remission after 4 1/2 years. Among 136 patients suffering from so-called "poorly differentiated reticulosarcoma", 17 became leukaemic. The cells are cytologically very dystrophic and unidentifiable. A remission was obtained in 7 patients but it was of short duration (median 1 1/2 months, longest 7 months).
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000473:pathology; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous