BACKGROUND: Hypoplastic acute leukemia is rare and most cases reported were of older age group. We reviewed our cases of hypoplastic acute leukemia and their hematologic and clinical findings. METHOD: The bone marrow biopsy slides and the reports of patients diagnosed as having acute leukemia during recent ten years were reviewed. The medical records of patients who had blast cells of greater than 30% and marrow cellularity less than or equal to 50% were reviewed. RESULTS: Of 308 patients analyzed, 17 (5.5%) fulfilled the above mentioned criteria. Ten patients were women and seven men. The median age was 44 with a range of 18-71. Chief complaints were fever, headache, general weakness and abdominal pain. Two patient presented hepatomegaly. One patient was diagnosed as granulocytic sarcoma. Ten patients were pancytopenic with median leukocyte count of 1,500/ L, hemoglobin of 8.3 g/dL, and platelet count of 27,000/ L. Circulating blast cells were 0-76%. FAB classification revealed one to be M0, three M1, seven M2, three M4, one M5, one M6 and one L1. Seven patients were not followed, and three were treated conservatively. Of seven patients receiving chemotherapy, four achieved durable complete remission. One achieved complete remission by using G-CSF. CONCLUSION: Most cases of reported hypoplastic acute leukemia were acute myelogenous leukemia of older age but our cases included leukemia of younger age and one acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Of seven patients who received chemotherapy, four achieved complete remission and one showed complete remission only by G-CSF.
Abdominal Pain ; Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Classification ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Fever ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Headache ; Hepatomegaly ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Medical Records ; Platelet Count ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Sarcoma, Myeloid

BACKGROUND: A peripheral blood smear has been the gold standard method for the diagnosis of malaria infection. Recently, many other methods have been introduced, although having inferior sensitivity and specificity to peripheral blood smears. We evaluated Neodin malaria PCR kit and its applicability in clinical settings. METHODS: Samples from seventy patients who visited Korea University hospital were used for evaluation. DNA from EDTA blood was tested in nested multiplex PCR and 470 bp for Plasmodium vivax or 340 bp for Plasmodium falciparum was confirmed after electrophoresis. The detection limit was determined by dilution of malaria positive blood with normal blood. RESULTS: Thirty-five cases of P. vivax and 10 cases of P. falciparum were noted. Except for a case of falciparum malaria, all positive cases were consistent with the peripheral blood smear results. Detection limit was 3.6 parasite/microL. CONCLUSIONS: Neodin malaria nested multiplex PCR has high sensitivity and the ability for species discrimination and may be available in the diagnosis of malaria infection.
Diagnosis* ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; DNA ; Edetic Acid ; Electrophoresis ; Humans ; Korea ; Limit of Detection ; Malaria* ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction* ; Plasmodium falciparum ; Plasmodium vivax ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: Alteration in plasma lipid levels during malaria attacks was studied to evaluate the diagnstic values in vivax malaria. METHODS: The plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c), and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) were analyzed and compared in 32 patients with vivax malaria at presentation, in 10 patients after 17-days of treatment with anti-malaria drug, and in 40 control individuals. Interrelation of lipid profile with other parameters including parasitemia level, platelet count, hemoglobin and WBC counts were analysed. RESULTS: In patients with malaria, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c and LDL-c concentrations were significantly lower than those of control subjects. None of lipid profile showed any correlation with the parasitemia level. After treatment, HDL-c was significantly elevated. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that lipid profile, especially decreased of HDL-c, may be a valuable information in the diagnosis of the malaria.
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Parasitemia ; Plasma ; Plasmodium vivax* ; Plasmodium* ; Platelet Count ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND: Alteration in plasma lipid levels during malaria attacks was studied to evaluate the diagnstic values in vivax malaria. METHODS: The plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c), and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) were analyzed and compared in 32 patients with vivax malaria at presentation, in 10 patients after 17-days of treatment with anti-malaria drug, and in 40 control individuals. Interrelation of lipid profile with other parameters including parasitemia level, platelet count, hemoglobin and WBC counts were analysed. RESULTS: In patients with malaria, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c and LDL-c concentrations were significantly lower than those of control subjects. None of lipid profile showed any correlation with the parasitemia level. After treatment, HDL-c was significantly elevated. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that lipid profile, especially decreased of HDL-c, may be a valuable information in the diagnosis of the malaria.
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Malaria ; Malaria, Vivax ; Parasitemia ; Plasma ; Plasmodium vivax* ; Plasmodium* ; Platelet Count ; Triglycerides