[Diagnosis of chronic monocytic leukemia]

Clinico-morphological, cyto- and biochemical, cytogenetic, immunological studies were carried out in 68 patients with chronic monocytic leukemia. It was found that the main diagnostic signs of this lesion are an associated or isolated enlargement of lymph nodes, the speen and liver, persistent absolute and relative monocytosis in the peripheral blood and sternal needle biopsy specimens, multifocal or diffuse outgrowth of monocytic elements in the bone marrow trepanobiopsy specimens from the ileac bone. Also, dysproteinemia mainly on account on hypergammaglobulinemia, a rather in monocytes and the reduced activity of alkaline phosphatase in neutrophils are characteristic of chronic monocytic leukemia. The basic histomorphological manifestations of the disease are leukemic infiltration by monocytes and reticular cells of the bone marrow, of flat and tubular bones, lymphnodes, the spleen, liver and other organs.