Letter A

Adult T-cell leukemia

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Abbreviated ATL.

A malignancy of mature T lymphocytes (T cells) with its onset in adulthood caused by infection with the human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) and characterized by circulating malignant T-lymphocytes, skin lesions, lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes), hepatosplenomegaly (enlarged liver and spleen), hypercalcemia (high blood calcium), lytic ('punched out') bone lesions, and a tendency to infection.

There are four categories of ATL, based on the aggressiveness of the disease -- smoldering, chronic, lymphoma, and acute.

The disease is also called adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and adult T-cell lymphoma.

See also: Human T-lymphotropic virus.

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