This paper presents light microscope observations of Auer bodies in leukemic cells of 623 cases with acute nonlymphoblstic leukemia (ANLL). Both Auer bodies and giant granules were observed in leukemic cells from 6patients with acute myleocytic leukemia (AML). the latter seemingly being a morphologic variant of Auer bodies. Auer bodies were found in mature neutrophils from 7patients with AML, which indicated differentiation of leukemic cells up to mature granulocytes in vivo.

The frequency of Auer bodies in ANLL was 37.2%but their freqency in AML was higher (46.2%) than that in AMOL (19%). In the AML group, 24 (61.5%) of 39 patients with Auer bodies and 11 (42.3%) of 26 patients without Auer bodies achieved remission. The difference was not significant statistically (p>0.05). In the ANLL group, median survivals of the Auer body-positive group and the Auer body-negative group were 24.3 weeks and 24.9 weeks respectively. It was found that several months before 2 patients were clinically in the overt leukemic phase, they had a preleukemic state with Auer bodies.