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Secondary leukemia after severe aplastic anemia

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Summary

We describe a patient with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) occurring 5 years after successful treatment of severe aplastic anemia (SAA) with antilymphocyte globulin (ALG). Four years after ALG, SAA had relapsed. A second remission of SAA was achieved, but was followed by transformation of the myelodysplastic syndrome into overt AML. After 2 courses of high-dose cytosine arabinoside and VP-16 complete remission occurred. This case shows that chemotherapy of secondary leukemia after SAA is feasible, and that ex-aplastic bone marrow is capable of complete recovery from chemotherapy-induced aplasia. Morphological anomalies of bone marrow noticed early during remission of SAA might predict a late transformation in leukemia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kantonsspital, Petersgraben 4, CH-4031, Basel, Switzerland

    A. Tichelli, A. Gratwohl, A. Würsch, C. Nissen & B. Speck

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  1. A. Tichelli
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  2. A. Gratwohl
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  3. A. Würsch
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  4. C. Nissen
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  5. B. Speck
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Tichelli, A., Gratwohl, A., Würsch, A. et al. Secondary leukemia after severe aplastic anemia. Blut 56, 79–81 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00633468

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00633468

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