title: Vacuolated neuroblastoma cells mimicking FAB L(3) lymphoblasts in bone marrow aspirates.
abstract: Abundant cytoplasmic vacuolation of neuroblasts has been noted on bone marrow aspirate (BMA) smears of two patients with metastatic neuroblastoma. Occasional tumor cells were dispersed as individual cells as well as in clumps. These cells had basophilic cytoplasm and several nucleoli, reminiscent of L(3) lymphoblast morphology. Flow cytometric analysis of the bone marrow mononuclear cells and neuron-specific enolase staining of the bone marrow biopsy samples further distinguished the cells as neuroblasts. Cytoplasmic vacuolations of neuroblasts may be a feature of metastatic neuroblastoma cells in BMA smears.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. tricia_alcas@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alcasabas
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dettore
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozgönenel
authors.forename: Kanta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bhambhani
authors.forename: Yaddanapudi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ravindranath
authors.forename: Süreyya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savaşan
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000473:pathology*; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000032:analysis; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase