Leukocyte morphology on an anti-CD antibody microarray for acute leukemia diagnosis: morphology rejuvenated

Abstract

Acute leukemia diagnosis steadily shifts towards automated analysis and precise molecular methods banishing the methods resistant to complete automatization (such as cytochemistry and bone marrow morphology). The reasons for this lie above all in the desire to eliminate the human factor as well as to find a way to cope with increasing work load. The better understanding of the biology of the disease achieved with the advanced molecular technologies led to the inclusion of new recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities, mutations and gene fusions into the revised WHO classification of tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues. Wherever possible the acute leukemias are classified by mutations rather than by underlying subtypes according to French-American-British (FAB) classification.1 FAB classification is retained only in the “not otherwise specified” category. These changes give a probably involuntary message that as mutations prevail over morphologic and immunophenotypic characteristics of leukemic cells the latter at a certain point will not be needed for the diagnosis.