title: Cutaneous monoblastic leukemia as a first sign of relapse six years after autologous bone marrow transplantation for acute leukemia.
abstract: A patient with acute monoblastic leukemia (AML, M5A) was treated successfully in December 1987. In 1993 after 6 years in complete remission, she presented with an intracutaneous nodular mass on her right upper arm which was resected in toto and shown to be undifferentiated monoblastic leukemia. Two further chloroma lesions were excised in July 1994 and March 1995 respectively. Bone marrow cytology and histology always showed a continuing complete remission with no evidence of leukemia relapse. In July 1995 she presented with a disseminated skin infiltrate and a relapse with 80% monoblasts in the bone marrow. After one course of chemotherapy (Idarubicin/Ara-C), a second complete remission was achieved and her leukemic skin infiltrate disappeared completely. This case illustrates that chloromas of the skin can occur as late as 6 years after treatment for AML and also emphasizes that the occurrence of a chloroma does not necessarily mean immediate leukemia relapse. It also stresses that a second complete remission can be achieved with standard AML-induction therapy despite widespread leukemic skin infiltrates in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology/Oncology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weide
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Wacker
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köppler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Görg
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Pflüger
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Havemann
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007948:Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D015255:Idarubicin