[Diagnosis of systemic mastocytosis using a semiquantitative method of assessing the mast cell population]

A study was made of bone marrow smears (17 puncture specimens) in 10 patients with systemic mastocytosis (SMC). The amount of mast cells (MC) in the myelograms widely ranged (from single cells to 39.6%) and in some cases, it was less than in healthy persons or in patients with other diseases. A semiquantitative method is suggested for estimating the population of MC which were distributed into four groups according to the degree of saturation with metachromatic granules. 1769 MC were estimated: from 61 to 200 in each specimen. In the control group (8 specimens from patients with leukemias and aplasias), 638 MC were estimated. The cytochemical coefficient (CCC) in SMC appeared to be equal to M +/- m = 1.34 +/- 0.11/M +/- 1.5 sigma = 0.6-2.1 l/, in the control group, it was 3.0 +/- 0.1/M +/- 1.5 sigma = 2.6-3.4/; p less than 0.001. The CCC less than or equal to 2.1 is considered to be one of the criteria for the diagnosis of SMC.