Leucemoid blood as a malignant sign in pertussis

ABSTRACT

1. The different non-leucemic blood pictures simulating leucemia are discussed2. Sixty-two cases of pertussis with bronchopneumonia that presented very high leucocyte counts are reported. In addition to the bronchopneumonia that was invariably present in all the cases, 9 were associated with other infections3. The white cell counts varied from 50,000 to 216,000 per cubic millimeter of blood, with preponderance of lymphocytes in 50 per cent of the cases, polymorphonuclears in 14.5 per cent of the cases, and equal neutrophiles and lymphocytes in the rest4. These leucemoid blood pictures although a bad omen in pertussis bronchopneumonias, are not necessarily the terminal stage of the disease5. Although the very high leucocyte counts simulated leucemias, they were proven not to be leucemias clinically, hematologically, and anatomically. The differences between leucemias and the leucemoid blood picture are also discussed6. The grave prognosis of bronchopneumonia cases secondary to pertussis, when attended by a leucemoid blood picture, especially if the blood picture persists in the subsequent counts, is also pointed out7. The necessity of making a leucocyte count in every pertussis case with bronchopneumonia, in order to be able to tell the serious cases from a group of clinically mild and moderate cases of infection, is emphasized8. The treatment of these cases with sulfapyridine and sulfathiazole is hopeful.(Summary and Conclusions)