| Title | Cytologic aspects of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia presenting as a massive pericardial effusion: a case report. | | Author(s) | Basu D, Siddaraju N, Murugan P, Badhe BA, Akkarappatty C, Dutta TK | | Institution | Department of Pathology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, India. | | Source | Acta Cytol 2009 May-Jun; 53(3):337-40. | | MeSH | Adult
Antigens, CD3
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
Bone Marrow Cells
Cardiac Tamponade
DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase
Fatal Outcome
Humans
Lymphocytes
Male
Pericardial Effusion
Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction
Precursor T-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma
Radiography, Thoracic
Tumor Markers, Biological
| | Abstract | BACKGROUND: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with a clinical presentation of cardiac tamponade and the presence of blasts in the pericardial fluid is an uncommon event. A cytopathologist needs to adopt a cautious interpretive approach while dealing with a lymphoid-rich pericardial effusion in order to prevent a false negative diagnosis. CASE: A 27-year-old male presented with breathlessness, ascites, bilateral pedal edema and fever. He had mild hepatomegaly. On detailed clinical examination, a diagnosis of anemia with cardiac tamponade was made. Cytology of pericardial fluid revealed a large number of lymphoid cells in a hemorrhagic background that, under low magnification, closely resembled mature lymphocytes. However, a careful examination of May-Grünwald-Giemsa-stained cytologic smears, under an oil immersion objective (x 1,000), showed atypical lymphoid cells having blastoid morphology. Rare lymphoid cells displayed a "hand mirror" appearance. A hematologic workup was carried out to exclude leukemia/lymphoma. Complete blood count revealed pancytopenia with abnormal lymphoid cells. Bone marrow showed replacement by 90% lymphoblasts exhibiting periodic acid-Schiff stain, CD3 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase positivity. A diagnosis of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (FAB L1) was offered, and the patient was started on a remission and induction regimen. However, he had a rapid downhill course and died of cardiorespiratory arrest.
CONCLUSION: Both clinicians and cytopathologists need to be aware of rare instances in which ALL may present with a pericardial effusion as an initial manifestation. The abnormal lymphoid cells found in the pericardial fluid in such situations need to be interpreted cautiously, as their presence is of clinical significance. | | Language | eng | | Pub Type(s) | Case Reports
Journal Article
| | PubMed ID | 19534280 |
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