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Acute promyelocytic leukemia: an unusual cause showing prolonged disseminated intravascular coagulation after placental abruption

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Abstract

Background

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) caused by placental abruption usually improves rapidly after prompt delivery and adequate anti-DIC treatment.

Case

A 30-year-old nulliparous woman suffered from placental abruption at the 25th week of pregnancy, and emergent cesarean section was done immediately. She exhibited DIC, which continued even after termination of the pregnancy and anti-DIC treatment. She also showed neutropenia. We closely observed her, and at the 58th day postpartum, blast cells appeared in the peripheral blood and she was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Induction chemotherapy was done successfully. The close observation after delivery enabled us to make the prompt diagnosis/treatment, leading to the complete remission.

Conclusion

APL should be added to the list of differential diagnosis when DIC persists even after prompt delivery and appropriate anti-DIC treatment after placental abruption.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan

    Yukako Morimatsu, Shigeki Matsubara, Noriko Hirose, Akihide Ohkuchi, Akio Izumi & Mitsuaki Suzuki

  2. Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan

    Katsutoshi Ozaki & Keiya Ozawa

Authors
  1. Yukako Morimatsu
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  2. Shigeki Matsubara
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  3. Noriko Hirose
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  4. Akihide Ohkuchi
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  5. Akio Izumi
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  6. Katsutoshi Ozaki
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  7. Keiya Ozawa
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  8. Mitsuaki Suzuki
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shigeki Matsubara.

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Morimatsu, Y., Matsubara, S., Hirose, N. et al. Acute promyelocytic leukemia: an unusual cause showing prolonged disseminated intravascular coagulation after placental abruption. Arch Gynecol Obstet 277, 267–270 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-007-0444-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-007-0444-z

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