title: Trilineage phenotypic compromise in acute leukemia.
abstract: The expression of three lineage specific antigens in the leukemic blasts is extremely infrequent. We here report a case of triphenotypic acute leukemia with involvement of the myeloid and B and T lineages. The morphology of the blasts showed promyelocytic features with agranular cytoplasm, suggesting a M3-variant of AML. The blasts were positive for myeloperoxidase PAS and Sudan Black. Immunophenotype and cytogenetics did not confirm M3-AML diagnosis, showing a trilineage compromise (myeloid and T and B lymphoid markers) and the cytogenetic alterations +8 and +11, respectively. This report highlights the importance of correlating the results of multiple diagnostic methods in order to establish a correct diagnosis of mixed lineage acute leukemias, and allows evaluation of the prognostic importance of this subgroup of patients.
authors.affiliation: IIHEMA, Academia Nacional De Medicina De Buenos Aires, Argentina. postmaster@anmra.sld.ar
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Scolnik
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Ramirez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tur
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Castuma
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bracco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002469:Cell Separation; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype