The utility of flow cytometry for the detection of tumor cells in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with acute leukemia

Central nervous system infiltration by acute leukemia is a poor prognosis variable, and conventional cytology the gold standard for its diagnosis; technique highly specific but not sensitive. To improve diagnosis, flow cytometry has been used in different studies, showing greater sensitivity detection of leukemic cells. This study aimed to evaluate presence tumor cells flowcytometry cytology, cerebrospinal fluid from patients with as well relationship clinical biological parameters. In total, 156 CSF samples 55 children were studied. We found following results: FCM-/CC- 131/156; FCM+/CC- 19/156; FCM-/CC+ 0; FCM+/CC+ 1/156; FC-/CC suspicious FCM+/CC 4/156. Patients B-cell lymphoblastic FCM+ showed lower response steroid-treatment, abnormal karyotype, neurological symptoms, worse relapsefree survival. T-cell demonstrated association thrombocytopenia. conclusion, fluid, finding that correlates prognostic parameters leukemia.