Light Green Crystals in May-Grünwald and Giemsa-Stained Bone Marrow Macrophages in Patients with Myeloid Leukaemia

Abstract
A patient in the terminal stage of myelomocytic leukemia had a number of elongated crystals in many bone marrow macrophages. The crystals were up to 20 .mu. long, showed a characteristic light green color with May-Grunwald and Giemsa stains, but did not stain with Sudan Black B or PAS [periodic acid Schiff]. EM showed that many of the crystals had a rhomboid form, but failed to show periodicity with the magnification used. A search was made for similar light green crystalline inclusions in patients with different types of leukemia. Identical inclusions were found in 2 of 5 other cases of myelomonocytic leukemia, and 3 of 5 cases of chronic myeloid leukemia. Such inclusions were not found in any of 6 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or in 4 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

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