title: T-cell form of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a reaffirmation of its existence.
abstract: Early in the 1980s three categories of T-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia were recognized: CD4+ CD8- knobby type, CD4- CD8+ azurophilic type and CD4+ CD8- adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL) type. Both azurophilic and ATL types were later shown to be distinctive disorders, whereas the knobby type has been largely neglected and even considered non-existent by some authors. In this report we describe two patients with leukaemia of CD3+ CD4+ CD8- post-thymic T lymphocytes presenting with marked lymphocytosis, generalized lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. We believe that CLL of the post-thymic T-lymphocytes is a distinct entity, and merits a separate designation from other T-cell leukaemias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Sin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015461:Leukemia, Prolymphocytic, T-Cell / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens