[Hepatocellular failure revealing T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia: Morocco case study and literature...

In the last classification of the World Health Organization (WHO) 2016, T-cell large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia is a type of mature natural killer T (NKT) cell lymphatic hematologic disease. T-LGL leukemia is characterized by CD3+ T-cell phenotype and TCR gene rearrangement (T lymphocyte receptor). It is a rare disease, mainly affecting people living in the Western world. We report the case of a 60-year old Moroccan patient presenting with 1-month history of generalized jaundice with diffuse petechiae and impaired general condition. Initial clinical examination showed ascites of average abundance and hepatosplenomegaly; paraclinical examination objectified hepatocellular failure with neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. The diagnosis of T-LGL was retained based on cytological and immunophenotypic study of bone marrow blood as well as on the detection of TCR rearrangement using molecular test. The patient received cyclophosphamide associated with symptomatic treatment. The patient died within three months of the diagnosis due to septic shock with cachexia. T-LGL often has an indolent behavior and initial clinical status at diagnosis is generally moderate, with progressive onset but that was not so for our patient. Hepatocellular failure exceptionally results in T-cell large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukemia.