ACUTE MYELOID-LEUKEMIA WITH HAND-MIRROR CELLS

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 106  (6) , 271-274
Abstract
A retrospective analysis of 37 cases of human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) seen during 5 yr was undertaken to evaluate the presence in the bone marrow of hand-mirror cells (HMC). Three cases with > 5% HMC were investigated by light microscopy, EM, cytochemistry, levels of terminal-deoxynucleotidyl-transferase, study of histologic aspects of bone marrow clot and biopsy specimens, and bone marrow immune complexes for numerous viruses. The findings supported the myeloid nature of the HMC; immune complexes associated with the baboon endogenous virus were absent, a finding observed in all cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with HMC so studied. HMC are produced in ALL and AML by different mechanisms. In the patients with AML-HMC did not survive longer than those without HMC in the bone marrow.