Sézary cells in ascitic fluid.

Sézary's syndrome is a neoplasm of T-lymphocytes characterized by skin lesions histologically typical of mycosis fungoides together with the presence of malignant (Sézary) cells in the peripheral blood. These cells have a characteristic appearance in tissues, peripheral blood and body fluids, and their presence in large numbers in ascitic fluid is an indicator of disseminated disease. A patient with Sézary's syndrome was found to have the distinctive malignant lymphocytes in ascitic fluid. We believe that this report is the first to document the appearance of the cells in a body cavity fluid. Treatment modalities in Sézary's syndrome may be determined by the stage of the disease, and the presence of the distinctive "convoluted" or "cerebreform" lymphocytes should be noted.