Tumor Cells

Bone marrow smears of necrotic tumor tamable by ordinary needle aspiration of cells stained with Romanowsky dyes fre- bone marrow containing necrotic tumor, quently have a definite reddish color and all of it is used to make smears. It that contrasts so strikingly with the blue is therefore important to recognize that color of normal marrow that necrosis bone marrow smears with a reddish may be suspected from gross examina- gross appearance and in which the cells tion. The bone marrow cells appear appear distorted and are difficult to “smudged ” and are difficult to identify identify may represent necrotic tumor on microscopic examination. Commonly, and not an artifact produced by poor only a small amount of material is ob- techniques. R ETICULIN FIBROSIS and necrosis of bone marrow have been described 1S frequent complications of acute leukemia.1 In addition, we have en-countered similar findings in a number of cases of lymphosarcoma metastatic to the hone marrow. Necrosis is easily recognized in paraffin sections of speci-mens obtained with a WTesterman-Jensen biopsy needle,2 or with the Agres