[Aleukemic monoblastic leukemia cutis].
BACKGROUND
The diagnostic and prognostic value of specific cutaneous lesions in acute leukemia is well-known. Paradoxically, these lesions may initially develop without peripheral blood or bone marrow involvement. We report the case of a patient with cutaneous lesions of acute monoblastic leukemia whereas peripheral blood was normal and massive infiltration of dermis was demonstrated.


METHODS
A 49 year-old man had papules and nodules of the back and upper arms evolving for several months. Histological examination with appropriate immunostaining led to the diagnosis of specific cutaneous lesions of acute monoblastic leukemia. Several hemograms with peripheral blood smears were normal, bone marrow smear demonstrated an important blastic infiltration on one site and a discrete infiltration on another. Cutaneous lesions disappeared with chemotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific cutaneous lesions may be isolated during acute leukemia, and called aleukemic leukemia cutis. These are a rare form, the underlying mechanism of which relies on the accumulation of small quantities of myeloblasts in bone narrow and with high tropism for the dermis.
Département de Médecine Interne, Centre Hospitalier Laënnec, boulevard Laënnec, BP 72, 60109 Creil. claude.bachmeyer@ch-creil.fr
C
C
Bachmeyer
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Turc
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Fraitag
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Delmer
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Aractingi
D000208:Acute Disease; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000473:pathology*; D007948:Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*