[Case conference of hematological diseases based on the morphology of blood cells: Chairman's introductory remarks].

A case conference of hematological diseases based on the morphology of blood cells was held as a Joint Symposium of JSLM and JSLH. Four cases were presented and discussed mainly from the viewpoint of morphology: a case of acute leukemia with basophilia, two cases of acute leukemia and another malignancy, and a case of bone marrow invasion of malignant melanoma. Each case included pathological and curious morphological findings to be carefully examined and intensively discussed by the commentators and participants. Differential diagnosis of immature or abnormal blastic cells was found to be particularly important. Finally, each presenter elucidated the final diagnosis of their own case and added an explanation. The importance of morphological evaluation was reconfirmed at this conference.