Many cases of T-cell malignancy in adults have been found in Japan and adult T-cell leukemia having a poor prognosis was clustered on the southern parts of Japan-Kyushu island, Shikoku island and Ki peninsula. In this study, the clinical characteristics of T-cell malignancies especially of adult T-cell leukemia was described. On the other hand, the lymph nodes of 36 adult patients with T-cell derived malignancy was classified by means of LSG (Lymphoma Study Group).
(1) At the Kyushu National Cancer Center Hospital, 51 cases of malignant lymphoma was experienced from April 1980 till June 1982, which consisted of 36 cases of T-cell derived malignancy and 12 cases of B-cell derived malignancy and 3 cases having unclarified surface markers.
(2) Five cases of 36 cases of T-cell malignancy was diagnosed as adult T-cell leukemia. The age in these ATL ranged from 38 to 72 years. The birthplaces of the patients were Nagasaki prefecture (2 cases), Kagoshima prefecture (1 case), Saga prefecture (1 case) and Fukuoka prefecture (1 case). All of the patients were accompanied by lymphadenopathy and 4 cases of these patients had hepatosplenomegaly. The white blood cell count ranged from 5, 700 to 53, 700 In the peripheral blood, pleomorphic leukemic cells with a markedly deformed nucleus;“convoluted” lymphocytes appeared in a ratio of 4.5-76 per cent. The percentage of leukemic cells in the bone marrow was 1.6 to 23.2 per cent, which was relatively low compared with other leukemia. The disease was histologically classified into diffuse lymphoma-medium cell type (2 cases), diffuse lymphoma-large cell type (1 case) and diffuse lymphoma-pleomorphic type (2 cases) according to LSG classification.
Interstitial pneumonitis was seen in four patients and hypercalcemia was recorded in two patients. The survival time ranged from two months to five months.
(3) One case of malignant lymphoma of lymphoblastic type was presented. The patient was a 26 year old male. He had no leukemic manifestations but lymphadenopathy. After eight months of clinical course, the lymphoblasts appeared in the peripheral blood. T-lymphoblastic lymphoma (OKT 4, 6, 5/8, 10 positive or OKT 4, 5/8, 10, 1, 3 positive) will be differentiated from T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (OKT 9, 10 positive) according to T-cell surface markers.
(4) Three cases of cutaneous lymphoma (T-cell type) was demonstrated. One of these cutaneous T-cell lymphoma was 71 year old female, who was accompanied by skin manifestations like mycosis fungoides and was diagnosed as malignant lympoma (diffuse, medium-sized cell type). Hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy were not observed. Leukemic abnormal T-cell did not appear in peripheral blood and bone marrow at the onset, but appeared in the peripheral blood and bone marrow after three months of the clinical course. The leukemic cells in the peripheral blood ranged 1 to 61 per cent and was OKT 3, 4 positive cells. The patient's serum had the antibody to adult T-cell leukemia associated antigen. It was reasonable that the patient was diagnosed as adult T-cell leukemia manifested mainly in the skin rather than cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
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