Aggressive Natural Killer Cell Leukemia: A Case Report and Literature Update

Abstract

Aggressive natural killer cell leukemia (ANKL) is an extremely rare type of leukemia characterized by clonal NK cell infiltration of peripheral blood and the bone marrow, cytopenias, and hepato/splenomegaly. ANKL is an aggressive subtype of a large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia. Peripheral blood smear shows LGL cells containing characteristic azurophilic granules in a light pale basophilic cytoplasm and immature nuclei. Immunological studies determine CD3-/CD16+/CD56+ and cytoplasmic CD3+. Tumor cells may have EBV positive. Chemotherapy resistance is caused by a multi-drug resistance gene (MDR); thus, patients die within 2 months after diagnosis. Here, we report a rare case of a patient diagnosed with ANKL.

Keywords

• NK cell leukemia
• aggressive
• CD16
• CD56
• hematopoietic stem cell transplantation