[Smoldering adult T-cell leukemia complicating severe respiratory failure--an autopsy case report]

An autopsy case of smoldering adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) is presented. 67 year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with complaints of fever, cough and increasing dyspnea on October 2, 1985. Laboratory findings revealed high LDH, azothermia and slightly leukocytosis with low percentage of flower cells. CRP was strongly positive. Gas disturbance was markedly. Anti-ATLA antibody using indirect immunofluorescence method was X40 positive. Subsets of peripheral lymphocytes showed OKT 4 dominant. (OKT 3; 67.5%, OKT4; 60.6%, OKT8; 8.8%). A chest X-ray film revealed cardiomegaly and fine granular shadows in bilateral lower pulmonary fields. Diagnosis of interstitial pneumonitis was defined in transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) specimen. O2 therapy, steroid therapy added antibiotics were ineffective, respiratory failure and renal failure were progressive, she died by septic shock in 39th hospital days. In autopsy, no characteristic histological changes of ATL were found in lymph node, bone marrow, spleen, liver, kidney and lung. Sepsis was the cause was of death. Finally this case diagnosed smoldering ATL and pulmonary fibrosis due to bronchial ectasia with repeated pulmonary bacterial infections. The pulmonary complications of patients with ATL were discussed.