[The evaluation of cytochemical criteria in the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia].

With the purpose of determining the reliability of cytochemical parameters in the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) we carried out morphological and cytochemical studies on blast cells from 72 patients with freshly diagnosed AML. Cases were categorized according to the FAB-classification. It is recommended that a reaction to chloracetat-transferase be included into the set of cytochemical tests together with semiquantification of myeloperoxidase activity in blasts. Such an approach will, we believe, help in distinguishing between the M1/M2 and M4/M5 subvarieties of AML.