BONE-MARROW AND HISTOCHEMICAL FEATURES OF MALIGNANT HISTIOCYTOSIS

Objectives: To study the hematological and histochemical features of m alignant histiocytosis cases diagnosed at King Khalid University Hospi tal. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective analysis of malign ant histiocytosis cases diagnosed by bone marrow examinations at the H ematology Section, Department of Pathology, King Khalid University Hos pital. The medical records were evaluated for clinical symptoms and si gns at presentation and peripheral blood count. Bone marrow aspirates and biopsies were reviewed for morphological features. Immunohisto-che mical staining of bone marrow trephine biopsies was performed. Results : Over 11 years, from February 1984 to March 1995, four cases of malig nant histiocytosis were diagnosed at King Khalid University Hospital ( KKUH) in Riyadh, They were two males and two females. The age range wa s 25-56 years. The predominant symptoms at presentation were fever and fatigability. All patients had hepatomegaly and three had splenomegal y. One patient had localized lymphadenopathy and skin involvement. Thr ee patients had pancytopenia while one patient had anemia, thrombocyto penia and leukocytosis. Immunohistochemical stains on three cases show ed positivity with partial derivative l antitrypsin and lysozyme. One case showed CDS (T cell marker) positivity by flow cytometry. The clin ical, hematological and immunohistochemical staining findings are desc ribed.