Blast crisis supervening on chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. A monoclonal progression of the disease as defined by cell surface markers.
Acute leukaemia is a rare event during the course of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), and only a small fraction of such cases have been shown to be true acute lymphoblastic crises. 1 case is described where both small lymphocytes and proliferating lymphoblasts have the same monoclonal pattern as defined by direct immunofluorescence of membrane-bound immunoglobulins. Previous cases are reviewed and do not appear to be mere coincidence: acute blast crisis may represent a part of the natural history of CLL.
Ifrah
N
N
Service de Médecine, Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire--Angers, France.
Renier
G
G
Saint-Andre
J P
JP
Gardais
J
J
Hurez
D
D
Boasson
M
M
D000368:Aged; D001752:Blast Crisis; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male