[The prolymphocytic-lymphocytic leukemization of B-cell lymphosarcomas]

The paper presents clinical, hematological, morphological and immunological characteristics of B-cell lymphosarcoma with prolymphocytic-lymphocytic type of leukemization in 50 adult patients (9 females and 41 males aged 29-86 years). In B-cell immunological subvariant of prolymphocytic-lymphocytic leukemization changes in the primary tumor always corresponded to prolymphocytic variant of lymphosarcoma. This distinguishes B-cell lymphosarcomas from previously described T-cellular ones in which the type of eventual leukemic changes did not always correspond to the kind of initial tumor. The presence or absence of prolymphocytes with split nuclei in bone marrow puncture samples was neither of clinical nor of prognostic significance. In leukemization of B-cell prolymphocytic lymphosarcoma from the cells with split nuclei or cells with different configuration of the nuclei, immunological phenotype typical for B-cell chronic lymphoid leukemia did not occur. In prolymphocytic lymphosarcoma from cells with round nuclei one-third of patients had immunological phenotype more typical for B-cell chronic lymphoid leukemia. However, among them were patients with aggressive course with predominant extranodal location of tumor and prolymphocytic type of leukemization. Tumor nodes in B-cell prolymphocytic lymphosarcomas, irrespective of leukemization morphological variant, proved rather resistant to therapy. A complete clinicohematological remission according to the international criteria occurred in 2 of 50 patients, only.