[Acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia with Burkitt's lyphoma cells--a case report]

A 65-year-old man with acute lymphoblastic leukemia of B-cell origin is described. The patient had many distinctive features including a very high blast cell count, hepatomegaly, hemorrhagic diathesis and a fulminant clinical course. Immunological studies showed the blast cells to have surface characteristics of B-lymphoid cells (IgG kappa). These cells had moderate amounts of deeply basophilic cytoplasm without granules. Most cells contained empty cytoplasmic vacuoles (L3 according to the FBA classification). Autopsy confirmed wide-spread leukemia involving the bone marrow, spleen, liver, kidneys, lungs, adrenals, thyroid gland, stomach, rectum, root ganglia and lymph nodes. This case is an example of acute lymphoblastic leukemia with Burkitt's tumor cells (L3).