Two cases of small cell lung cancer with bony metastases diagnosed with FDG - PET despite a normal planar bone scan / 대한내과학회지

Bone scintigraphy is a very sensitive and cost-effective diagnostic method for detecting bony metastases of malignant neoplasm. However it has been reported that bone scan is less sensitive for early bony metastases, especially vertebral metastases. PET is a non-invasive clinical imaging methodology that can be used to assess such biochemical disturbance in tissue in vivo quantitatively with high resolution.We experienced two cases of small cell lung cancer with multiple bony metastases which were detected on PET imaging but not on planar bone scan. This case report suggests that FDG-PET will be a very effective diagnostic tool for bony metastases especially in clinically suspected case despite a normal planar bone scan.

A Case of B-Prolymphocytic Leukemia / 대한혈액학회지

Prolymphocytic leukemia (PLL) is a member of chronic lymphoproliferative disorders with relatively distinct clinical, morphologic, immunologic and prognostic features. The diagnosis of PLL is determined by more than 55% of prolymphocytes in the peripheral blood. It is characterized by leukocytosis, massive splenomegaly with little or no lymphadenopathy, and male prevalence. In immunophenotyping, the majority (80%) of the cases express B cell markers and the rest (20%), T cell type. We experienced a case of B-PLL. The patient was a 65 year-old man who presented with marked leukocytosis (110.5x109/L) and 78% of characteristic prolymphocytes in the peripheral blood. The bone marrow aspirate showed 13.6% of prolymphocytes and coarse granular positivity of prolymphocytes in PAS stain. The immunophenotyping of the leukemic prolymphocytes revealed the positivity of surface immunoglobulin (IgM, lambda type), HLA- DR and CD19. The monoclonal gammopathy (IgM, lambda type) was also detectable in the patient's serum.