Bone marrow necrosis in adult acute leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Bone marrow necrosis is a rare finding in adult patients diagnosed with acute leukemia or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Previous reports have suggested that it is associated with a poor prognosis. It remains unclear however, whether improvements in patient care during the last decade have altered patient outcome. In a retrospective review of 581 bone marrow biopsies performed ante mortum on adult patients with acute leukemia or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, we identified 10 cases of bone marrow necrosis (5 acute myeloid leukemia, 5 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma). Severe bone pain, elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase levels and leukoerythroblastic peripheral blood smears were common presenting features. Despite treating 8 of the 10 patients with curative intent, only 2 patients remain alive and disease-free. This study confirms that bone marrow necrosis in adults with acute leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a rare ante mortum finding and confers a poor prognosis. Whether these patients would benefit from more intensive therapy such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains to be clarified.

Diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders: experience of a single institution in the long-term follow-up of discordant cases.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of morphologic diagnosis, immunophenotyping and immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell receptor (TcR) gene rearrangement studies in the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorder. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study with clinical follow-up of controversial cases. SETTING: Single institution, tertiary care centre. PATIENTS: All 273 patients whose lymphoid tissue samples were sent for molecular analysis by Southern blotting over a 4-year period. INTERVENTIONS: Patient reports were retrieved from the laboratory data system. Repeat assessment and clinical follow-up was done for discordant cases. OUTCOME MEASURES: Correlation between morphologic features and the results of immunophenotype and gene rearrangement studies of the samples. Value of the different tests in discordant cases. RESULTS: The 273 samples included 130 of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), 23 of Hodgkin's disease, 80 of benign lymphoid hyperplasia, 16 of atypical lymphoid hyperplasia and other diagnoses. Of the 130 NHL cases diagnosed by morphologic study, 22 (17%) did not show gene rearrangement. Of the 80 morphologically benign samples, 4 (5%) showed gene rearrangement, and malignant disease developed later in those patients. Five (31%) of the 16 cases of atypical lymphoid hyperplasia showed gene rearrangement. Six of the remaining 11 cases had no detectable gene rearrangement, but hematologic malignant disease developed. No gene rearrangement was detected in Hodgkin's disease samples. One carcinoma showed gene rearrangement. Of the NHL group, 86% of the B cells and 50% of the T cells showed gene rearrangement. Seven samples showed both Ig and TcR gene rearrangement. CONCLUSIONS: Gene rearrangement analyses correlate highly with conventional morphologic diagnosis and phenotyping. The detection of gene rearrangement in lymphoid tissue has a high specificity (99%) and a reasonable sensitivity (83%) to the development of a lymphoproliferative disorder.

Quantitation of nucleolar organizer regions by image analysis in glottic squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To apply computer image analysis as a quantitative method for analyzing interphase nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) to determine whether this proliferative marker provides useful prognostic information in glottic squamous cell carcinoma. DESIGN: Retrospective testing of biopsy samples and resected tissue. SETTING: Nova Scotia Regional Cancer Centre and regional hospitals in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Canada. PATIENTS: Patients with primary glottic cancer presenting to the cancer centre between 1984 and 1991. INTERVENTIONS: Semiautomated image analysis was used to measure the nuclear area and the NOR area in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour samples. OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean nuclear area, mean NOR area and NOR percentage of nuclear area, calculated as the mean NOR area divided by the mean nuclear area, expressed as a percentage. RESULTS: Of 154 cases, 90 samples were received; however, 8 paraffin blocks were exhausted and 29 samples stained poorly due to extent of fixation. Analysis of the remaining 53 cases, all primary squamous cell carcinomas, showed no statistically significant association between, on one hand, mean NOR area or NOR percentage of nuclear area and, on the other hand, tumour grade, tumour stage, tumour recurrence or disease-related death. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not demonstrate a prognostic value of NOR measurement as a proliferative marker in primary glottic squamous carcinoma. However, given the small number of cases in this study, further research should be conducted using a larger number of cases from one centre and comparing NOR measures with other markers of cell proliferation.

Prognostic significance of t(14;18) and bcl-2 gene expression in follicular small cleaved cell lymphoma and diffuse large cell lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether there is an association between the presence of t(14;18) and bcl-2 gene expression, on one hand, and clinical presentation and outcome, on the other hand, in patients with follicular small cleaved cell lymphoma (FSCCL) and diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL), in light of conflicting reports concerning the prognostic significance of these parameters. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study and molecular analysis of archived tissue. SETTING: Tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: Sixty-two patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, of whom 33 (13 women and 20 men) had FSCCL and 29 (9 women and 20 men) had DLCL. Their ages ranged from 27 to 88 years. INTERVENTIONS: Presence of t(14;18) was determined using Southern blot analysis or polymerase chain reaction or both. The level of bcl-2 gene expression was determined by immunohistological analysis using a monoclonal mouse anti-human antibody (DAKO-Bcl-2, 124). OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical stage of lymphoma at diagnosis and responsiveness to treatment, and the correlation between these clinical parameters and t(14;18) status and bcl-2 gene expression. RESULTS: There was no clear association between t(14;18) status and prognosis for either FSCCL or DLCL. In contrast, high bcl-2 expression clearly predicted a generally poor prognosis in patients with FSCLL (p = 0.0146) and indicated resistance to treatment in those with DLCL (p = 0.0853). CONCLUSION: In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, level of bcl-2 gene expression may represent a useful, independent prognostic indicator to identify high-risk patients and choose specific therapeutic approaches.

Report of a patient presenting with esophageal obstruction.

This report describes a patient with granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma) of the mediastinum who presented with esophageal obstruction. There was also pleural involvement and a malignant effusion. Acute myelogenous leukemia was diagnosed concomitantly. Pitfalls in diagnosis are discussed.

Papillary peritoneal tumors in women.

Twenty-five peritoneal tumors in women are described. All were partly or entirely of papillary or tubulopapillary structure and multifocal. Eight were unusually well-differentiated mesotheliomas. This appearance was associated with indolent behavior. In 10 cases the growth closely resembled serous papillary carcinoma, including the frequent presence of psammoma bodies, but the ovaries were free of primary tumor. The latter group of tumors progress rapidly and are thought to be derived from extraovarian mesothelium with müllerian potential. Four further cases showed some resemblance to ovarian papillary carcinoma. Only three tumors in the entire series (12%) closely resembled papillary or tubulopapillary diffuse malignant mesothelioma of the type that occurs in the pleural cavities in both sexes. The histopathologic spectrum of papillary tumors of peritoneum in women is extensive, and mesothelial tumors of the type known to be associated with asbestos are rare.