title: Mast cell leukemia: report of a case and review of the literature.
abstract: We report the clinical and pathologic findings in one case of mast cell leukemia observed in a series of 60 patients with systemic mast cell disease. The leukemic variant of systemic mast cell disease is rapidly fatal (mean duration of survival, less than 6 months) in contrast to most nonleukemic cases, which follow an indolent clinical course. On the basis of our case and eight previously reported cases, mast cell leukemia is characterized by a substantial increase in atypical mast cells in the peripheral blood, diffuse infiltration with atypical mast cells in the bone marrow, a strong association with peptic ulcer disease, prominent constitutional symptoms, and hepatosplenomegaly. These cases should be distinguished from malignant mastocytosis without a substantial number of circulating atypical mast cells and also cases of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia that arise in the background of systemic mast cell disease.
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007946:Leukemia, Mast-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000473:pathology; D008415:Mastocytosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D013156:Splenectomy