Abstract
A 43 years old man was admitted to Chiba Cancer Center Hospital, because of anemia and bleeding tendency on October 10, 1975. Hematological examination revealed moderate anemia, severe thrombocytopenia and marked leukocytosis with 80% plasma cells. Further work up confirmed plasma cell leukemia (IgD λ type). The patient was treated with daily prednisolone 50mg without response. On October 24, 2mg vincristine was administered intravenously. Ten days after medication, the patient had complete remission and was followed without maintenance. In September, after one month of complete remission, hematological relapse was observed. This time vincristine administration did not revealed complete response. In March 1976, the patient was re-admitted accompanied with serum hepatitis. Jaundice subsided by prednisolone administration, but plasma cell leukemia gradually progressed.
Despite intensive chemotherapy with adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, prednisolone and vincristine, he developed meningeal involvement and died on May 18, 1976 with 11 month of duration. In the literature, 40 cases of plasma cell leukemia were reported in Japan in the period from 1950∼1972. Clinical findings, treatment and prognosis of plasma cell leukemia were discussed.
