title: Acute and chronic arsenic poisoning associated with treatment of acute promyelocytic leukaemia.
abstract: Seven relapsed and/or refractory acute promyelocytic leukaemia patients were treated by arsenic trioxide (As2O3). Four patients (4/7, 57%) achieved complete remission after one to three cycles of treatment and the most common acute side-effect was fluid retention (in six patients, 86%), including weight gains and pleuro-pericardial effusions. Evident polyneuropathy compatible with chronic arsenic toxicity was noted in two of the three patients who received As2O3 maintenance therapy and one of them had marked distal muscular atrophy. We suggest that As2O3 may be a useful salvage therapy for relapsed and refractory APL patients, but the acute or chronic arsenic toxicity should be carefully monitored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei.
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Tien
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010087:Oxides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001152:Arsenicals; D010087:Oxides; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide