Five cases of histiocytic medullary reticulosis diagnosed by authors at the Seoul
National University Hospital during 1971 to 1973 are presented with clinical summary,
laboratory results and hematological findings of peripheral blood and bone marrow.
The results are summerized as follows:
1. Four out of five cases were male with average age of 20, and male to female ratio
was 4 : 1.
2. Four patients died during hospitalization and their mean survival from the onset of
disease to the death was 121 days.
3. All case disclosed clinical manifestation of high fever, hepatosplenomegaly and/or
lymphadenofathy and bleeding tendency or icterus.
4. Peripheral blood showed severe anemia, thrombocytopenia (4 cases showed less
than 40,000/mm3 of platelets at the end-stage), leukopenia (mean WBC
total count was 1,700/mm3 at the end-stage) and prolonged bleeding &
prothrombin time.
5. All cases had atypical monocytes in peripheral blood smears with
erythrophagocytosis(3 case)or phagocytosis of platelets or other cell debris.
6. Bone marrow showed hypoplasia and increased number of atypical monocytes with
slightly increased proportion of lymphocytes, plasma cells and normoblasts, Careful
examination of bone marrow disclosed an erythrophagocytosis in monocytic cells even in
those cases with little monocytic hyperplasia.
7. Though the histocytic medullary reticulosis is a rare disease, an attention and
careful study will find more cases in Korea.
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