Eosinophilia during fludarabine treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Although eosinophilia has been reported as a side effect of purine analogues, there is no report on fludarabine-induced eosinophilia in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). During chemotherapy with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, we observed two cases of significant eosinophilia. A 67-year-old patient with CLL developed bone marrow and peripheral blood eosinophilia up to 7.9x10(9)/l, the highest eosinophil count ever reported during treatment with a purine analogue. The eosinophilia persisted for 33 days. Another patient developed bone marrow eosinophilia without eosinophilia in the peripheral blood. These are the first documented cases of fludarabine-induced eosinophilia in CLL, and this side effect may conceivably be more common than previously recognized.
Sezer
O
O
Universitätsklinikum Charité, Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, D-10098 Berlin, Germany. sezer@charite.de
Schmid
P
P
Hallek
M
M
Schweigert
M
M
Beinert
T
T
Langelotz
C
C
Mergenthaler
H G
HG
Possinger
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine