Ultrastructural morphometric cell evaluation in chronic lymphocytic leukaemias.

The present study was undertaken to check whether there is a correlation between the clinical stage and the ultrastructural morphometric picture of leukaemic cells. The investigations concerned 12 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Qualitative morphological differences could not be detected between cells originating from various clinical groups. Morphometric ultrastructural analysis, however, revealed differences in the volume fraction of cytoplasmic cell components, not only between clinical groups, but also within them. None of the clinical groups were homogeneous, but the cases classified to groups 0, I and II were uniform as regards the volume fractions of the nucleus and some cytoplasmic components. Ultrastructural morphometric studies seem to suggest that counterparts to the clinical state may be found in the morphology of leukaemic cells.