Abstract
Based on the data obtained from the Annual of Pathological Autopsy Cases in Japan, published the period of 1958-66, 723 cases in which clinicians and pathologists failed to agree on a diagnosis of leukemia were analyzed in order to clarify the problems of accurately certifying the disease. The diversity of discrepant diagnoses against leukemia by both clinicians and pathologists must be a reflection of the exceedingly variable clinical and necropsy findings. An ascertainment of mis-diagnoses by either clinicians or pathologists is not feasible within the data available because of many instances without clearcut demarcation between leukemia and the related disorders. The discrepant diagnoses observed rather frequently are malignant lymphoma, aplastic anemia, septicemia, reticulosis and others. Clinicians appear to fail sometimes accurately certifying leukemia against tuberculosis, cancer of the stomach, and neuroblastoma, but pathologists' diagnoses of marrow hyperplasia and neuroblastoma, but pathologists' diagnoses of marrow hyperplasia and/or mycosis appear not sufficient counter-diagnoses, on the other hand. The observed results were discussed by reviewing literatures in the sense of differential diagnosis of leukemia of some controversial issues.
