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Sudden death due to undiagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia: a case report

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Abstract

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is associated with severe hemorrhagic coagulopathy induced by the release of procoagulant, plasminogen, and protease from leukemic cells. The case described in this report is of a 15-year-old male who unexpectedly died due to a cerebral hemorrhage caused by underlying APL within 12 h after presentation. This case suggests that underlying APL should be considered as a differential diagnosis when sudden death occurs with a fatal spontaneous hemorrhage, although it is rare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Legal Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8, Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan

    Kentaro Sakai, Akihiro Takatsu, Akio Shigeta & Shuntaro Abe

  2. Department of Pathology, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8, Nishi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8461, Japan

    Masahiro Ikegami & Keizo Takagi

Authors
  1. Kentaro Sakai
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  2. Akihiro Takatsu
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  3. Akio Shigeta
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  4. Shuntaro Abe
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  5. Masahiro Ikegami
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  6. Keizo Takagi
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Correspondence to Kentaro Sakai.

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Sakai, K., Takatsu, A., Shigeta, A. et al. Sudden death due to undiagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia: a case report. Int J Legal Med 121, 311–314 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-006-0106-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-006-0106-x

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