Intracytoplasmic inclusions in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia

An ultrastructural survey of peripheral blood lymphocytes in 81 patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL) demonstrated intracytoplasmic inclusions in 15 of them. These inclusions consisted of round, dense bodies, ferritin deposits, lipid-containing bodies, concentric rings of endoplasmic reticulum, microfibrillar formations and crystalloid inclusions. The variety of these inclusions suggests that cases diagnosed by light microscopy as classical CLL are actually subtypes which may differ in their clinical course and ultimate prognosis.