Acropachy in lymphatic leukemia.

Bone lesions in adults with leukemia are not common, and the presence of bone destruction, clubbing, and edema of overlying soft tissues, termed leukemic acropachy (acros = extremity, pachus = thick), is rare indeed. Schittenhelm first described this entity in 1925 (12), and only one similar case (1) has been found in the literature since that time. The case of leukemic acropachy described below differs from the other two in that the patient has shown clinical and radiographic reversal of the abnormalities after drug therapy. Case Report A 41-year-old Negro male entered the Cincinnati Veterans Administration Hospital in March 1964. In November 1963 rhinorrhea and painful swelling of the fingertips of both hands developed. In February 1964, biopsy of an indurated area of the left palm was diagnosed as lymphoma cutis. Physical examination revealed a healthy-appearing male with normal vital signs. The tip of the spleen was palpable. There was no lymphadenopathy or hepatomegaly. All of the fingers were clubbe...