Secondary lipidosis in leukemia.

Foam cells in the spleen, bone marrow, liver and lymph nodes were examined on the 73 reliably recorded and sampled leukemia autopsy cases encountered at Kobe University from 1958 to 1972. Although the substances stored in the foam cells were biochemically unknown, the foam cells in leukemia could be morphologically classified into two types: The one was identified with the Gaucher type, but the other was not identified with the sea-blue type and might be considered as to be the transitional type described in another report. Foam cells could be found in the spleen of 6 out of 12 cases of chronic myeloid leukemia, one out of 2 cases of chronic lymphatic leukemia, one out of 7 cases of leukemic lymphosarcoma, one out of 9 cases of acute lymphatic leukemia, and none in 3 cases of monocytic leukemia. In acute myeloid leukemia, the incidence of foam cells in the spleen was 47.5% in 40 cases, and acquired lipidoses were more frequently seen in cases under 19 years of age, in male cases, in cases with an enlarged spleen over 400 g, and in cases of over 4 months' duration.