Acute myeloid leukemia in children in Pakistan: an audit.
OBJECTIVE
To see the clinical features and treatment of children with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in Pakistan.


METHODS
Tertiary referral at a specialist Hematology/Oncology center.


METHODS
Retrospective, chart-based review of children (less than 14 years) admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of AML between January 1987 and August 1997.


RESULTS
A total of 23 patients were admitted. There were 18 males and 5 females. The mean age was 8 +/- 5 years. M3 was the commonest morphological subtype (43%). Twenty-two percent of the patients presented with hyperleucocytosis (TLC > 100 x 10(9)/L) and 95% with an elevated LDH (> 548 IU/L). Pneumonia at presentation was seen in 29%. Of 23 patients 14 were evaluable for responses. Six patients died early (43%); 3 before starting the chemotherapy and 3 during the induction chemotherapy, 8/11 (73%) patients entered remission. The median survival was 9 months.


CONCLUSIONS
The pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia present with advanced disease. There is a high early death rate (within 28 days of diagnosis). The long-term outcome was inferior to that reported in the literature.
Zaki
S
S
Department of Family Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
Burney
I A
IA
Khurshid
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D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies