Open AccessTherapy related acute myeloid leukemia with blast cannibalism and cytophagocytosis
Author(s) -
Moshref Razavi Habib,
Covello Thomas
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ejhaem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2688-6146
DOI - 10.1002/jha2.49
Subject(s) - medicine , myeloid leukemia , bone marrow , context (archaeology) , leukemia , neutropenia , oncology , pathology , chemotherapy , biology , paleontology
The case of an 83‐year old male patient is described. He presented to our hospital with a 2 week history of intermittent syncope and was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. His CBC showed bicytopenia with anemia and neutropenia in context of a leucoerythroblastic blood film and blastemia. As the patient was previously diagnosed with stage IV diffuse large B cell lymphoma; treated with CHOP‐R a bone marrow biopsy was requested to rule out acute leukemia. A cellular bone marrow aspirate showed presence of a myeloblast infiltrate (32.6%; confirmed by flow cytometry). Interestingly blast phagocytosis of terminally differentiated cells along with cannibalism of other blasts was identified. The diagnosis of therapy‐related acute myeloid leukemia was reached and a palliative consultation was requested. To our knowledge, this is the first report of blast cytophagocytosis and cannibalism associated with a therapy‐related acute myeloid leukemia with a complex karyotype.