Promyelocytic Crisis of Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia during Imatinib Mesylate Treatment

Vol. 117, No. 4, 2007

Free Abstract Article (Fulltext) Article (PDF 212 KB)

Case Report

Promyelocytic Crisis of Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia during Imatinib Mesylate Treatment
Eijiro Oku^{a, b}, Rie Imamura^a, Shuichiro Nagata^b, Yuka Takata^a, Ritsuko Seki^{a, b}, Korenori Otsubo^a, Michitoshi Hashiguchi^a, Koichi Osaki^a, Kazuaki Yakushiji^{a, b}, Kohji Yoshimoto^a, Hideaki Ogata^a, Michio Sata^b, Takashi Okamura^a

Divisions of
^aHaematology and
^bGastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Acta Haematol 2007;117:191-196 (DOI: 10.1159/000097920)

Key Words

Acute promyelocytic leukaemia
All-trans retinoic acid
BCR/ABL chimeric gene
Imatinib mesylate
PML/RAR chimeric gene

Abstract

An untreated 66-year-old woman with chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) in the chronic phase was initially given imatinib mesylate, rapidly achieving a good cytogenetic response with treatment. However, acute promyelocytic leukaemia complicated by a disseminated intravascular coagulation occurred 9 months after beginning imatinib treatment. Promyelocytic crisis of CML was diagnosed by demonstration of both BCR/ABL and PML/RAR alpha chimeric genes in leukaemic cells by karyotypic and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. Clonal evolution with addition of the PML/RAR alpha translocation may have arisen in the early chronic phase of CML, with expansion of this clone during imatinib treatment. Promyelocytic crisis of CML is rare; furthermore, we know of no previous report of promyelocytic crisis occurring during treatment with imatinib.

Author Contacts

Takashi Okamura, MD, PhD
Division of Haematology
Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine
67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011 (Japan)
Tel. +81 942 31 7852, Fax +81 942 31 7854, E-Mail okamura@med.kurume-u.ac.jp

Article Information

Received: June 15, 2006
Accepted after revision: September 12, 2006
Published online: December 14, 2006
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 2, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 32

Medline Abstract (ID 17170522)

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