Spurious Thrombocytosis Caused by Tumor Cell Lysis in a Patient with Acute Monocytic Leukemia.
BACKGROUND
Tumor lysis syndrome can occur after treatment of fast-growing cancers. Early detection of tumor lysis is crucial to minimize the toxic effects on organs and potentially life-threatening complications.


METHODS
A patient with acute monocytic leukemia presented with spurious thrombocytosis. A peripheral blood smear was stained with alpha-naphthyl butyrate esterase to discriminate tumor cell fragments from platelets.


RESULTS
Peripheral blood smears showed widespread leukemic cell fragmentation. Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) after treatment for acute monocytic leukemia was diagnosed. The patient underwent chemo- and radiotherapy followed by umbilical cord blood transplantation and remains symptom-free two years after transplantation.


CONCLUSIONS
For patients with thrombocytosis accompanied by bizarre scatter-grams on automatic hematologic analyzers, further diagnostic procedures should be performed to determine the exact cause of thrombocytosis.
Shu
S
Ogasawara
Norihoro
N
Saito
Masamichi
M
Itoga
Mihoko
M
Kushibiki
Ryoko
R
Nakata
Emi
E
Ohta
Eriko
E
Fujita
Keiya
K
Kojima
Kiminori
K
Terui
Etsuro
E
Ito
Hiroyuki
H
Kayaba
D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007948:Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000209:etiology*; D015275:Tumor Lysis Syndrome / Q000150:complications*