title: Immunophenotyping of acute leukemia at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre.
abstract: During a 20 month period, 133 bone marrow samples from an equal number of patients with acute leukemia were immunophenotyped. Patients ranged in age from two to 68 years with a mean of 23 years. Eighty-four (63.2%) were classified as acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) with the following immunologic subclassification: common ALL 83.3%, T-cell ALL 11.9%, null-cell ALL 2.4% and 2.4% differentiated B-cell ALL. Twenty-eight cases (21%) were classified as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 16 cases (12%) demonstrated biphenotypic features. Concordance with morphology and cytochemistry was observed in 129 cases (97%). Four cases (3%) manifested discrepancy between immunophenotyping, morphology and cytochemistry. We conclude that immunophenotyping by flow cytometry is a useful and reliable method for classification of acute leukemia, especially when interpreted in the light of morphology and cytochemistry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Pyle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robichaud