Man,
Figure 51. Left: Immature myelocytic cells (many promyelocytes) in marrow of subject No. 54,
6 weeks before death. x 1650. Right: Promyelocytes with Auer rods were numerous. x 1650.

During the 1972 annual examination the subject was found to have a WBC of 2000 and a
platelet count of 120,000. He showednoothersignificantfindings and appeared to be a healthy and
husky 19-year-old. He was brought to BNL, where
a bone marrow examination revealed typical acute
myelogencus leukemia, predominately of the pro-

third molar, and a left chronic otitis media. Antileukemic medication included cytosine arabinoside,
6-thioguanine, heparin,oxacillin or cephalothin
with gentamicin, and later ampicillin. He received
blood and platelet transfusions, some from an
older brother flown in from the Marshail Islands,
but compatible platelets were not available. Plate-

Figure 51). He was transferred to the National

veloped signs of a hemorrhagic diathesis with
marked hemithorax. He was placed in respirator,

mvelocytic type with numerous Auer rods (see

Cancer Institute at Bethesda, where examination

resulted in few physical findings besides the bone
marrow changes noted.* He had a slight inflammation of the pharynx, periodontitis around the right

*Drs. Edward S. Henderson, James Mabry, Joan Bull, Maria
Tomaszewsia, and Jacqueline Peng of the National Cancer Institute and Dr. Gundabhaktha Chikkapa of Brookhaven Natonal Laboratory assisted with this study.

let levels continued low, and within 2 weeks he de-

but his condition worsened, and he died 6 weeks

after admission. (See Appendix 11 for hospital
summary. )

The principal autopsy findings included acute
myeloblastic (promyelocytic?) leukemia in spleen,
lymph nodes, arachnoid, and bone marrow. There
had been massive pulmonary hemorrhagebilaterally and inflammation ofthe parotid gland. It was

Table 36

Difference in Mean Peripheral Blood Levels Between Subject
With Leukemia (No. 54) and Exposed Peers

WBC (x 10-3)

Neut. (x 10-3)

1954
Exposed peers
Leukemia case

77
5.7 (+ 26%)

4.1
2.5 (— 39%}

1955-72
Exposed peers
Leukemia case

8..
6.5 (—21%)

3.8
2.7 (—30%)

Lymph. (1073)

Plate. ( x 10-3)

Het., %

3.0
2.8 (-6%)

246
187 (~24%)

37.3
36.4 ( -—2.5%)

3.5
3.1 (-11%)

293
271 (-7.5%)

39.2
40.5 (+37)

Select target paragraph3