title: Combining morphology and flow cytometric immunophenotyping to evaluate bone marrow specimens for B-cell malignant neoplasms.
abstract: For this study, 188 bone marrow core biopsy specimens and aspirates analyzed morphologically and by flow cytometric immunophenotyping (FCI) in patients with a previous or new diagnosis of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or mature B-cell leukemia were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate patterns of involvement and the usefulness of FCI. The morphologic and FCI results were categorized as follows: positive by morphologic examination and by FCI (39.9%); negative by morphologic examination and by FCI (41.5%); positive by morphologic examination and negative by FCI (11.7%); negative by morphologic examination and positive by FCI (2.6%); suggestive of malignant neoplasm by morphologic examination and positive by FCI (2.1%); and suggestive of malignant neoplasm by morphologic examination and negative by FCI (2.1%). Thus, in 81.4% of cases the morphologic and FCI findings were completely concordant. In 11.7% of cases, the morphologic examination alone detected involvement, and in 4.7% of cases, the FCI data detected involvement in a morphologically negative or "suggestive" bone marrow core. Combining these modalities is essential to evaluate bone marrow specimens for involvement by B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or B-cell leukemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, St Louis University Health Sciences Center, Missouri 63104, USA.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Dunphy
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains / Q000032:analysis; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000032:analysis; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015448:Leukemia, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007142:Immunoglobulin gamma-Chains; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains