OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical characteristics of an infant with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and the effects of imatinib on the case.

METHODThe clinical features of an infant with CML, who was treated with imatinib in the Norman Bethune International Peace Hospital at June 2009, were retrospectively analyzed and the reports in literature were reviewed. The 1-year-old boy suffered from recurrent low-degree fever and pallor. He had a moderate anemia, distended abdomen and marked splenomegaly. Bone marrow aspiration revealed CML in chronic phase)CP). The t (9; 22))q34; q11) could be detected and BCR-ABL (p210) was positive. The boy was diagnosed as CML-CP and treated with imatinib 100 mg per day. There were 10 related papers and more than 100 child CML patients were reported as retrieved from CNKI)from its establishment to August 2014) and Wanfang Database)from its establishment to August 2014) when "Child", " Chronic" and "Leukemia" were used as keywords. And there were 30 related papers including 400 cases from PubMed Database (from its establishment to August 2014) and one detailed report of an infant with CML was retrieved when "childhood" and "chronic myeloid leukemia" "imatinib" were used as keywords. The clinical effects of imatinib in infant CML cases were analyzed and summarized based on the literature.

RESULTThe boy obtained a complete hematologic response (CHR) at the 6th week of diagnosis, a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) at the 3rd month and a complete molecular response)CMR) at the 12th month without side effect. This boy grows very well and after a 62-month follow-up, his disease was stable. According to the domestic literature, 5 children CML cases aged 6 -12 years were treated with imatinib without side effects and got complete hematologic response (CHR) after 2-month-therapy. The dose, metabolic characteristics and clinical observation of imatinib can be found in foreign literature and imatinib showed good response with good tolerance in children with CML. Imatinib is regarded as the first line drug for children CML. But it may affect the development of the children.

CONCLUSIONThe children with CML-CP had a good response to imatinib, but more experience in the treatment of children with CML with iniatinib is needed.