title: Childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia with a preleukemic phase: report of an associated translocation and review of the literature.
abstract: A fourteen month old boy presented with hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia. An extensive evaluation, including bone marrow aspiration and biopsies of both liver and lymph nodes, revealed a polyclonal B cell proliferation consistent with a reactive process, with no evidence of leukemia. After receiving transfusions of red cells and platelets, his blood counts recovered. Five weeks later, he returned with an elevated white blood count and bone marrow findings diagnostic of acute lymphocytic leukemia. The leukemic blasts contained a novel chromosomal translocation, t(5;14) (q34;q12). We describe the clinical, immunophenotypic and cytogenetic features of this case, review the literature of acute lymphocytic leukemia associated with a preleukemic phase, and discuss the relationship of this clinical entity to the 5q-abnormality associated with myelodysplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2588.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Whitlock
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: McCurley
mesh_terms: D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002895:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 5; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011289:Preleukemia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D014178:Translocation, Genetic