title: Clinical and laboratory features of adult T-cell leukaemia lymphoma in Barbados.
abstract: We describe the clinical and pathological features of 23 Afro-Caribbean patients with adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados over a 5 year period. There were 9 males and 14 females, with a median age of 38 years (range 14-84). Twelve had acute leukaemia, 10 lymphoma (including 4 with solitary extra nodal lesions) and 1 smouldering subtype. Two patients had a past history of tropical spastic paraparesis/HTLV I associated myelopathy (TSP/HAM). The prognosis was poor, with only 3 complete responses to chemotherapy (CHOP) lasting from 9 to 36 months. We conclude that ATLL in Barbados is similar to the disease in the other Caribbean islands and Japan, except that in Barbados the age of onset is over a decade younger than in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, St Michael, Barbados.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deardren
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Corbin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Prussia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hanshard
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matutes
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Catovsky
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001460:Barbados; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies