Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine
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Arch. Pathol. Lab. Med. · Jan 2003
Flow cytometric analysis of acute leukemias. Diagnostic utility and critical analysis of data.
Acute leukemia displays characteristic patterns of surface antigen expression (CD antigens), which facilitate their identification and proper classification and hence play an important role in instituting proper treatment plans. In addition to enzyme cytochemical analysis, multiparameter flow cytometric analysis has become commonplace in most laboratories for that purpose. The essential role and caveats of flow cytometry in that regard, however, have received little scrutiny. ⋯ Aside from identification of blasts, flow cytometry was found to be especially useful in the correct identification of AML M0, differentiation of APL from AML M1/M2, and correct identification of TdT-negative ALL and unusual variants, such as transitional B-cell ALL and undifferentiated and biphenotypic acute leukemias.