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All‐ trans ‐retinoic acid (ATRA) responsive skin relapses of acute promyelocytic leukaemia followed by ATRA‐induced pseudotumour cerebri
Author(s) -
Selleri Carmine,
Pane Fabrizio,
Notaro Rosario,
Catalano Lucio,
Santoro Lidia E. F.,
Luciano Luigiana,
Frigeri Ferdinando,
Salvatore Francesco,
Rotoli Bruno
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2141.1996.411948.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cytarabine , idarubicin , acute promyelocytic leukemia , bone marrow , retinoic acid , tretinoin , chemotherapy , immunology , gastroenterology , gene , biology , biochemistry
A 30‐year‐old woman with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) went into complete remission following idarubicin and cytarabine chemotherapy; 18 months later she developed repeated skin relapse, with no bone marrow involvement. DNA and RNA analysis of skin lesions revealed the presence of the PML/RARα hybrid gene, which was not detected at the same time in bone marrow. The skin relapses were successfully treated by all‐ trans ‐retinoic acid (ATRA) as single agent over 2 years. However, prolonged administration of ATRA caused pseudotumour cerebri, which disappeared upon drug withdrawal. The absence of the hybrid gene in the bone marrow by RT‐PCR analysis led to the patient being autografted.