This is a 71-year-old woman from Palmira (a village in the southwestern region of Colombia near the Pacific Coast), referred to the Sebastián de Belalcázar outpatient clinic with a history of fever (4 days above), weight, smoking cessation),
On physical examination, hepatomegaly and adenopathy of 3 cm were found in the right axilla. No manifestations were observed.
Initially, anemia and leukopenia were observed, followed by leukocytosis,lymphocytosis (11,000/mm3) and absolute neutropenia.
Levels of consolidation lactate 300 mg/dl and serum calcium 7.1 mg/dl were found.
Lymph node and bone marrow biopsies were obtained to rule out lymphoma.
These two tissues and blood were infiltrated by a T-cell neoplasia with significant nuclear pleomorphism.
In blood smears, "flower cells" (flower cells) were observed and a CD3+,CD2+, CD4+, CD5+, CD7-, CD8-, CD56-, and CD56-cell peripheral bone marrow phenotypes were identified.
1.
Taking into account the previous findings, the diagnosis was leukemia/lymphoma of adult T-cell; consequently, ELISA and Western Blot for HTLV 1-2 were requested, which were positive, confirming the diagnosis.
Western blot was positive for HTLV-1 with presence of p19, GD21 and rgp46-I bands.
The type of leukemia identified was acute leukemia.
The patient died before starting treatment.
