LabQ Clinical Exercise 9: Hematology: Plasma Cell Leukemia

Qing Wei, MD, PhD 

Jie Xu, MD, PhD 

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center 

Houston, Texas 

Primary Audience:

Phlebotomists, Laboratory Technologists, Laboratory Directors

Secondary Audience:

Pathologists, Clinical Scientists (Includes all sub-specialty areas), Students, Pathologist Assistants, Residents, and Students

Upon completion of this activity, you will be able to: 

·        describe the morphologic characteristics of neoplastic plasma cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow aspiration smears; 

·        discuss the diagnostic criteria of plasma cell leukemia (PCL);  

·        discuss the systemic symptoms and laboratory values associated with PCL; and 

·        describe the immunophenotypic characteristics of plasma cells in PCL.