title: A case of leukemic pleural infiltration in atypical chronic myeloid leukemia.
abstract: Pleural effusion in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is poorly understood and rarely reported in the literature. When the pleural effusion is caused by leukemic pleural infiltration, the differential white blood cell count of the effusion is identical to that of the peripheral blood, and the fluid cytology reveals leukemic blasts. We report here a case of bilateral pleural involvement of atypical CML in an 83-yr old male diagnosed with pancreatic cancer with abdominal wall metastasis and incidental peripheral leukocytosis. Based on bone marrow examination, chromosome analysis and polymerase chain reaction he was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome negative, BCR/ABL gene rearrangement negative CML. Following 3 months of treatment with gemcitabine for pancreatic cancer, he developed bilateral pleural effusions. All stages of granulocytes and a few blasts were present in both the pleural fluid and a peripheral blood smear. After treatment with hydroxyurea and pleurodesis, the pleural effusion resolved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Sook
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Min-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Jae Lyun
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Heung Moon
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tae Won
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyun-Sook
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Woo Kun
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jung Shin
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yoon-Koo
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D017254:Leukemic Infiltration / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology