Two patients who presented with acute leukemia of Burkitt's cell type are discussed. Although one patient died within four months of diagnosis, the other has maintained a one year clinical complete remission. The clinical and morphologic picture of Burkitt's leukemia is nonspecific and therefore requires complementary studies including cytochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, cell surface markers and cytogenetics studies to establish a diagnosis. Serial bone marrow aspirations with marker analyses may detect relapse at an earlier stage than conventional cytology, allowing therapy to be modified prior to overt clinical relapse.
Cancer 49~1444-1448, 1982.
URKITT'S LYMPHOMA is an undifferentiated lym-B phoma with distinct clinical and pathological features.'-6 Although leukemia with Burkitt's cells may occur as a terminal manifestation of t h e disease,' a t r u e leukemic presentation is exceedingly rare. Herein we report two cases of acute leukemia of Burkitt's cell type.
One of these patients died within four months of original diagnosis. The other patient remained in remission one year, with his therapy modified with t h e aid of cell surface marker analysis.
Case Reports
Patient 1 J.C., a 26-year-old white male machinist, was admitted with fever, headaches, back and abdominal pain and bilateral lower extremity weakness shortly following a viral upper respiratory tract infection. Previous medical history was unremarkable. Physical examination revealed an oral temperature of 38.9"C. bilateral nonsignificant submandibular and inguinal lymph nodes and bilateral lower extremity weakness. CBC revealed a hemoglobin of 14 gms/dl, hct 40.490, WBC count of 4,700/ cumm with differential: 2% blasts, I % prornyelocytes, 3% metamyelocytes, 27% band forms, 17% polymorphonuclear