A case of true malignant histiocytosis: Identification of histiocytic origin with use of immunohistochemical and immunocytogenetic methods

T. Sato*, T. Terui, K. Kogawa, Y. Nagaoka, Y. Sato, S. Iyama, K. Takada, S. Hagiwara, S. Takahashi, T. Oku, T. Matsunaga, M. Takahashi, J. Kato, S. Sakamaki, T. Torigoe, N. Sato, M. Hirayama, Y. Niitsu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report here an autopsy case of true malignant histiocytosis. The patient was a 67-year-old woman who exhibited fever, wasting, hepatosplenomegaly, and progressive pancytopenia. The bone marrow aspiration disclosed hemophagocytosing cells, which resembled histiocytes. The molecular analysis did not show the clonal gene rearrangement of T-cell receptor or immunoglobulin heavy chain. Although the patient had been started on methylprednisolone pulse therapy and chemotherapy with etoposide, she died from cerebral hemorrhage. The autopsy specimens of spleen and liver showed extensive infiltration of atypical cells, for which histiocytic origin was identified with an immunohistochemical method using monoclonal antibodies against CD11c, CD68, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), M-CSF receptor, lysozyme, antitrypsin and α1-antichymotrypsin. Recent investigations have disclosed that in most cases diagnosed as malignant histiocytosis, hemophagocytosis was reactive and not evoked by histiocytic malignancy. True malignant histiocytosis, for which histiocytic origin is confirmed, is extremely rare.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)285-288
Number of pages4
JournalAnnals of Hematology
Volume81
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 2002

Keywords

  • Gene rearrangement
  • Histiocytic origin
  • Immunohistochemical staining
  • True malignant histiocytosis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Hematology

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