[Giant Tumor Cells in the Bone Marrow and Their Significance]

Giant tumor cells and their varieties in the bone marrow were found in 7 patients with abnomal hematopoiesis phenomena. These cells were artificially devided into 5 kinds according to the difference of their morphology. Most of these cells were corresponding to lymphoid-monocytoid-macrophagocytoid cells with Wright's staining, cytochemical stainings, immunocytochemical stainings, flow cytometry examination, electron microscopy and pathologic study. The bone marrows were hypercellular and marked dysplastic hematopoiesis phenomena. Two of the 7 cases were diagnosed as malignant lymphoma with bone marrow biopsy. All cases characteristically showed no lymph node enlargement or hepatosplenomegaly or any local tumor mass. As to the prognosis of these cases, two patients died with survival time of 8 and 17 months, respectively, one was on critical condition at course of 10 months, and the other 4 cases were in comparatively stable condition with courses of 2.5 to 24 months. These patients seem to be a group of rare malignant lymphoid-monocytoid-macrophagocytoid proliferative diseases.