A 35 years aged farmer came to our department with a complaint of epigastric fullness in April, 1967. Five months later splenomegaly and leukopenia (1,500/cmm) with absolute neutropenia, relative monocytosis and 8% of reticulum cells in peripheral blood were found. Aspiration of bone marrow, biopsy of lymph nodes and measurement of intra-splenic pressure were performed, and a diagnosis of reactive reticulosis and hypersplenism was made. On Jan. 9, 1968 splenectomy was performed, and the spleen weighed 1,860 gm. The histological diagnosis was splenitis. Patient had felt well until June, 1970 when he was admitted to our department because of easy fatigability and fever of unknown etiology. At this time the liver was 8 fingerbreadth palpable with elevated ZTT and γ-globulin and normal transaminases. The peripheral blood smear showed 72% small lymphocytes and 3% metamylocytes. Four erythroblasts were counted with 100 leukocytes. With steroid therapy the symptoms improved and hepatomegaly disappeared. In May 1971, bleeding tendency and jaundice appeared and reticulum cells of 80% were seen in the peripheral WBC of 51,000/cmm. Patient died of hepatic coma one month later. The diagnosis of malignant reticulosis was confirmed after autopsy.
