title: The Differences between Lymphoma and Leukemia Type of Adult T-cell Leukemia.
abstract: The difference between lymphoma type and leukemia type of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) were analysed with 102 Japanese patients all positive for human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) antibody. They were classified into three groups on findings at first medical examination: lymphoma type cases, leukemia type cases, and mixed type (leukemia type plus lymphadeno-pathy) cases. Lymphoma type patients had several or more enlarged lymph nodes the largest of which was greater than 1 cm in diameter and with practically no abnormal lymphocytes (ATL. cells), which are characteristic of ATL, in the peripheral blood. Leukemia type patients had 10% or more ATL cells in the peripheral blood and had no detectablle lymphadenopathy Lymphoma type patients often complained of detectable lymphadenopathy, while leukemia type patients complained frequently of general fatigue and skin eruption. Mixed type patients more frequently had signs and symptoms which were characteristic of both types: lymphadenopathy and 10% or more ATL cells in the peripheral blood. Mixed type: ATL had a poorer prognosis than either lymphoma type or leukemia type. The median survival time was 3 months for mixed type patients, 10.5 months for lymphoma type patients, and 13.5 months for leukemia type patients. Complications and causes of death have also been touched upon. Clinicians are thus advised to consider ATL patients separately according to their clinical manifestations.
authors.affiliation: a Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimamoto
authors.affiliation: a Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Pathology, Saga Prefectural Hospital, Saga, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: a Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: a Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Saga, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuribayashi
authors.affiliation: c Central Laboratory, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: d Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.affiliation: d Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nawata
authors.affiliation: e Division of Hematology, Kyushu Cancer Center Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kozuru
authors.affiliation: f Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology-Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
keywords: Adult T-cell leukemia (ATL); HTLV-I antibody; complication; human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I); non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL); survival