Presumptive pure erythroid leukemia in a dog

Abstract

A 6.5-year-old, intact male Cocker Spaniel dog was referred with a history of depression and anorexia of 1-week duration. Mucosal pallor was prominent on physical examination. Complete blood cell count revealed pancytopenia and occasional blast cells. Bone marrow aspirate cytology indicated that individual particles were composed of approximately 60% hematopoietic cells and a monomorphic population of blast cells with perfectly round nuclei, consistent paranuclear clearing, and deeply basophilic cytoplasm devoid of granules dominating the marrow fields. The granulocytic lineage was severely decreased with a granulocytic-to-erythroid ratio of 0.15 and a blast cell percentage of at least 70% of all nucleated cells; the myeloblasts and monoblasts composed <5% of nonerythroid cells. Bone marrow cytology slides were submitted for immunocytochemical immunophenotyping using antibodies to myeloperoxidase, cluster of differentiation (CD)3, CD79a, CD11b, CD45, and CD34. The neoplastic cells did not express any of the antigens assessed. The combination of light microscopic cytomorphology and the immunophenotype were strongly suggestive of pure erythroid leukemia.