[Blastic cytophagocytosis in acute leukosis]

The phagocytic activity of the blastic cells in the course of acute leukemias has been previously analyzed mainly by means of technical methods concerning the ingestion of inactive particles or foreign bodies. The spontaneous ingestion of cells (cytophagocytosis) has been studied to a minor extent, with reference to some occasional pictures, mainly in erythremic syndromes. The analysis of 104 cases of acute leukemias, classified according to cytochemical criteria, demonstrated the presence of cytophagocytosis pictures almost exclusively in non-lymphoid acute leukemia patients. The data are discussed with relation to similar findings in epithelial tumors as well as to the emperipolesis pictures.