[Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMMoL) with systemic lymph node swelling and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria...

A 37-year-old male was diagnosed as having chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMMoL) with chief complaint of systemic lymph node swelling. On admission, his peripheral blood revealed mild anemia and mild thrombocytopenia with giant platelets, and monocytosis (1480/microliters). NAP score was low. Serum lysozyme increased. The bone marrow showed normal cellularity consisting of 4% myeloblasts and 14.4% promyelocytes, and a few myeloid cells were positive for double staining by alpha-naphthyl butyrate and naphthol ASD chloroacetate esterase. Biopsied specimens of the cervical lymph node showed infiltration of monocytoid cells, which were positive for lysozyme staining, into interfollicular tissue. As for chromosome variation, 21 large satellite was observed in all dividing cells from his bone marrow and peripheral blood. Furthermore, hemolytic anemia with hemoglobinuria developed during his course. Sugar water test was positive, but Ham test negative. Coombs test and Donath-Landsteiner reaction were negative. Abnormal hemoglobin, spherocyte and fragmentation were not found. Hemolysis disappeared about two months later. However, blastic crisis appeared and he died. We showed a case of CMMoL with 21 large satellite and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH)-like complication. Satellite have usually been reported as asymptomatic, and thus this chromosome variant and CMMoL may have been coincidentally observed.