Cytomorphology of ascitic fluid complicating small cell variant of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia -Report of a case-

초록

T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare, mature T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder with a post-thymic mature T-cell phenotype. The disease is characterized by rapidly rising lymphocytosis, lymphadenopathy, and splenomegaly. The clinical course is usually aggressive and progresses with frequent skin lesions and serous effusions. In 25% of cases, leukemic cells are small and tumor cells may not have a discret nucleolus under light microscopy. Although the presence of characteristic cytoplasmic protrusions or blebs in tumor cells is a common morphologic findings in the peripheral blood film irrespective of the nuclear features, small cell variants lacking the typical nuclear features can cause diagnostic problems in clinical cytology. Here, we describe the cytological findings of ascitic fluid complicated by small cell variant T-PLL in a 54-year-old man, the cytology of which was initially interpreted as small lymphocytic malignancy such as small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia.