Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a rare type of childhood acute leukemia, which has a worse prognosis than childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in the treatment of childhood AML and the 5-year event-free survival rate may be as high as 70% in developed countries. This survival improvement is largely attributable to risk-stratified treatments, therapies tailored to individual patients based on the biological characteristics of the disease, and continuously improving supportive care. An accurate diagnosis is the prerequisite for risk stratification, prognostic evaluation and therapeutic decision making. How to reduce early mortality and thus improve overall survival, how to implement appropriate supportive treatment to reduce treatment-associated complications, and how to reduce treatment-related mortality are the key to the improvement of therapies for childhood acute myeloid leukemia.
Child ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; mortality ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; drug therapy ; genetics

BACKGROUND: The findings of dysplastic features in haemopoietic cells in de novo acute myeloid leukemia(AML) is defined as AML with trilineage myelodysplasia(AML/TMDS). These cases have been reported accounting for 10-5% of de novo AML. The rate of complete remission(CR) in AML/TMDS to conventional chemotherapy is poor and relapse occur much earlier than in patients without dysplastic features. TMDS features are also observed during remission and termed this de novo AML with myelodysplastic remission marrow(AML/MRM). Recent report described that TMDS during remission was more closely related to prognosis than dysplastic features at diagnosis. We investigated the incidence of AML/TMDS and AML/MRM and evaluated the impending role of dysplasia in prognosis. METHOD: Ninety-ive patients with de novo AML from March 1994 to December 1998 were enrolled according to the FAB classifiction. To determine AML/TMDS and AML/MRM, we used Brito-abapulle's criteria and Kazuhiro's criteria. Prognosis was aalysed by the means of disease free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS). RESULTS: Nine(9.5%) patients had AML/TMDS and it was 7.7%, 17.2%, 50% of patients with M2, M4 and M6. CR rate was 44.4% for TMDS patients compared to 76.7% for patients without TMDS(p<0.05). AML/TMDS also showed significantly shorter DFS and OS. The incidence of AML/MRM was higher in the group of AML/TMDS(44.4%) compared to AML without TMDS(8.1%) but was not related to prognosis. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the presence of TMDS in de novo AML exerts a negative effect on the ability to achieve CR and in the prognosis. But the MRM has no significance to predict poor prognosis and early relapse.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

BACKGROUND: The findings of dysplastic features in haemopoietic cells in de novo acute myeloid leukemia(AML) is defined as AML with trilineage myelodysplasia(AML/TMDS). These cases have been reported accounting for 10-5% of de novo AML. The rate of complete remission(CR) in AML/TMDS to conventional chemotherapy is poor and relapse occur much earlier than in patients without dysplastic features. TMDS features are also observed during remission and termed this de novo AML with myelodysplastic remission marrow(AML/MRM). Recent report described that TMDS during remission was more closely related to prognosis than dysplastic features at diagnosis. We investigated the incidence of AML/TMDS and AML/MRM and evaluated the impending role of dysplasia in prognosis. METHOD: Ninety-ive patients with de novo AML from March 1994 to December 1998 were enrolled according to the FAB classifiction. To determine AML/TMDS and AML/MRM, we used Brito-abapulle's criteria and Kazuhiro's criteria. Prognosis was aalysed by the means of disease free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS). RESULTS: Nine(9.5%) patients had AML/TMDS and it was 7.7%, 17.2%, 50% of patients with M2, M4 and M6. CR rate was 44.4% for TMDS patients compared to 76.7% for patients without TMDS(p<0.05). AML/TMDS also showed significantly shorter DFS and OS. The incidence of AML/MRM was higher in the group of AML/TMDS(44.4%) compared to AML without TMDS(8.1%) but was not related to prognosis. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the presence of TMDS in de novo AML exerts a negative effect on the ability to achieve CR and in the prognosis. But the MRM has no significance to predict poor prognosis and early relapse.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute* ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

The specific cutaneous lesions of acute myeloblastic leukemia was described, in which the skin lesions were the initial sign of the leukernia and the performance of the bone marrow aspiration led to correct diagnosis. A 55 year old man had admitted to our hospital with complaints of multiple nodules and tumors on the skin. Four month prior to admission, he had noticed small papules on his back. These lesions become nodular, increased in size and number. And then spread to anterior chest, extremities and face. Skin biopsy specimen showed diffuse dermal and subcutaneous infiltration of abnormal cells that appeared to be leukemic cell in nature. Bone marrow biopsy specimen showed changes of acute myeloblastic leukemia. Treatment was initiated with combined chemotherapy (cytosine arabinoside and adriamycin) and the eruption began to fade away.
Biopsy ; Bone Marrow ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Extremities ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Thorax

A rare case of spinal epidural granulocytic sarcoma preceding acute myelogenous leukemia is described. A 21 years old female patient was presented with acute paraparesis. An emergency decompressive laminectomy with removal of mass was performed. The final pathological diagnosis was granulocytic sarcoma. Her neurological symptoms and signs were improved after operation. This rare tumor should be considered in the differential diagnosis of an epidural mass with cord compression in patients with or without acute leukemia, because early diagnosis followed by appropriate combined chemotherapy and radiation may obviate surgical intervention and eventually prevent leukemic transformation.
Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Paraparesis* ; Sarcoma, Myeloid* ; Young Adult

Early diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) depends primarily on morphological recognition before the presence of t(15;17) or PML-RAR gene rearrangement is confirmed. But the diagnosis is difficult to be made, if typical APL morphologic features are not found. Here, we describe a 32- year old man who had been diagnosed as APL. He relapsed with AML M1 like phenotype, lacking the typical features of APL. At relapse, t(15;17) and PML-RAR alpha gene rearrangement were detected. After 14 days of chemotherapy and all-trans retinoic acid, the phenotype changed from the AML M1 like features to the typical hypergranular APL. Awareness of atypical morphologic subtypes found in APL is important. And identification of t(15;17) or PML/RAR alpha rearrangement will be helpful in diagnosis of atypical APL.
Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Early Diagnosis ; Gene Rearrangement ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute* ; Phenotype ; Recurrence* ; Tretinoin

We report herein two cases of leukemia cutis. One case is a 54-year-old woman who came to our department with complaints of a solitary ulcerating nodule on her left leg that had been present for 2 months since prior to her visit. Through histopathological studies, the diagnosis of myelocytic leukemia cutis was made before the final diagnosis of acute myelocytic leukemia was made by hematological studies. When combined chemotherapy was finished, she was in a partial remission state and the nodule disappeared after 1 month of chemotherapy. The other case is a 77-year-old man having multiple infiltrative nodules on the right forearm and right thigh for 1 month prior his visit. He was diagnosed as having leukemia cutis for his skin lesions histopathologically. This was redefined as chronic myelomonocytic leukemia of the myelodysplastic syndrome with blastic transfor- mation by hematological examination. He developed septicemia and died 3 weeks after the dermato- logical diagnosis.
Aged ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Forearm ; Humans ; Leg ; Leukemia* ; Leukemia, Myeloid ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Chronic ; Logic ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; Sepsis ; Skin ; Thigh ; Ulcer

During the neutropenic phase, leukemia patients receiving chemotherapy are prone to bacterial and, fungal infections; occasionally mycobacterial, viral and protozoal organisms may also cause infections. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was reported very rarely in these patients. This report describes four patients with M. tuberculosis infection identified from 185 adult patients who were diagnosed myelogenous leukemia between January 2003, and December 2004. There was no patient with M. tuberculosis infection from 44 lymphoid leukemia and 11 acute biphenotypic leukemia patients. Sites of infection were all lymph nodes. Three among four patients were presented with lymphadenopathy at initial diagnosis of leukemia, and the other one presented with lymphadenopathy after induction chemotherapy. There was no patient presented with lymphadenopathy during the neutropenic phase. Tuberculous lymphadenitis was presented in a patient with three acute myelogenous leukemia (FAB class 2 M4, 1 M2) and a chronic myelogenous leukemia, accelerated phase. An acute myelogenous leukemia patient had a leukemic cell and tubercle bacilli in the same lymph node. Tuberculosis should also be included as a differential diagnosis in myelogenous leukemia patient with lymphadenopathy, especially in the countries in which the disease is endemic.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Biphenotypic, Acute ; Leukemia, Lymphoid ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Leukemia, Myeloid* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node*

During the neutropenic phase, leukemia patients receiving chemotherapy are prone to bacterial and, fungal infections; occasionally mycobacterial, viral and protozoal organisms may also cause infections. Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection was reported very rarely in these patients. This report describes four patients with M. tuberculosis infection identified from 185 adult patients who were diagnosed myelogenous leukemia between January 2003, and December 2004. There was no patient with M. tuberculosis infection from 44 lymphoid leukemia and 11 acute biphenotypic leukemia patients. Sites of infection were all lymph nodes. Three among four patients were presented with lymphadenopathy at initial diagnosis of leukemia, and the other one presented with lymphadenopathy after induction chemotherapy. There was no patient presented with lymphadenopathy during the neutropenic phase. Tuberculous lymphadenitis was presented in a patient with three acute myelogenous leukemia (FAB class 2 M4, 1 M2) and a chronic myelogenous leukemia, accelerated phase. An acute myelogenous leukemia patient had a leukemic cell and tubercle bacilli in the same lymph node. Tuberculosis should also be included as a differential diagnosis in myelogenous leukemia patient with lymphadenopathy, especially in the countries in which the disease is endemic.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Biphenotypic, Acute ; Leukemia, Lymphoid ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; Leukemia, Myeloid* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node*

Between 1986 and 1990, four children with recurrent CNS leukemia who had previous CNS prophylaxis therapy were treated with intermittent central nervous system irradiation and intrathecal chemotherapy (IIIC). There was no isolated CNS recurrence. One patient died form bone marrow relapse. Three patients are alive without evidence of disease for 3E3/12 year to 3E6/12 year after the diagnosis of recurrence of CNS leukemia. This experience suggests that IIIC may be an effective treatment for preventing the recurrence of CNS leukemia without any serious side effects.
Bone Marrow ; Central Nervous System* ; Child* ; Diagnosis ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Leukemia* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Recurrence