Acute myeloid leukaemia arising from a patient with untreated essential thrombocythaemia.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is an uncommon complication of patients with essential thrombocythaemia (ET). We report a patient with ET which progressed into AML and who had only received a few days of therapy with hydroxyurea (HU) when diagnosed with ET. This is extremely rare, as in large series no patients who were left untreated for their ET developed this complication. This case supports the theory that AML transformation can be part of the natural history of ET in some cases.
Bolaños-Meade
Javier
J
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Southwest Cancer Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA. Jbmcla@prodigy.net
López-Arvizu
Carmen
C
Cobos
Everardo
E
D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D013163:Splenomegaly / Q000209:etiology; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*