title: Systemic medium-sized vessel vasculitis associated with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the clinical aspects of systemic vasculitis associated with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study, 8 patients suffering from systemic vasculitis associated with CMML are described. The French and English literature on systemic vasculitis associated with myelodysplasia was reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 8 patients had a systemic medium-sized vessel vasculitis which fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for polyarteritis nodosa in the setting of active CMML. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) were negative in 7 patients. One patient had cytoplasmic ANCA by indirect immunofluorescence without antiproteinase 3 or antimyeloperoxydase antibodies on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At presentation, 6 patients had fever of unknown origin, 5 had polymyalgia rheumatica, 3 had sensory hearing loss, and 4 had eosinophilia. None had viral infection or drug-associated vasculitis. Diagnostic procedures included renal or hepatic angiography in 6 patients which showed microaneurysms in 4, skin and temporal artery biopsy in 2 which showed vasculitis, and 1 postmortem examination which showed gastroduodenal arteritis. All patients were treated with corticosteroids, and 7 received immunosuppressive drugs. Death was attributable to vasculitis in 2 cases, infection in 3, and other vasculitis-related causes in 2. In a review of the French-English literature, we found 11 similar cases of ANCA-negative systemic vasculitis, generally associated with refractory anemia, with or without blast excess.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Systemic ANCA-negative polyarteritis nodosa-type vasculitis seems closely associated to CMML. Clinical presentation is nonspecific, and systemic vasculitis should be suspected when a patient with myelodysplasia develops atypical manifestations. Renal, gastrointestinal, or hepatic angiography are useful diagnostic procedures when more invasive biopsies should be avoided because of low platelet count. The prognosis of CMML-associated systemic vasculitis is poor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hôtel-Dieu, University Hospital Nantes, Nantes, France. mohamed.hamidou@chu-nantes.fr
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hamidou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boumalassa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larroche
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: El Kouri
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Blétry
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Grolleau
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000175:diagnosis; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000097:blood; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents