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Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia: A Report of Five Cases with a Comment on the Diagnostic Significance of Serum Vitamin B 12 Determination
Author(s) -
Rachmilbwitz D.,
Rachmilewitz E. A.,
Polliack A.,
Hershko Ch.
Publication year - 1972
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1972.tb08789.x
Subject(s) - medicine , vitamin b , pediatrics , gastroenterology , vitamin
Summary. Five patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia presenting with initial leucopenia are reported. Severe and fatal bleeding complicated the course of the disease in four patients, associated with hypofibrinogenaemia in three of them. In addition, disseminated intravascular coagulation was found in three autopsied patients. An interesting and hitherto undescribed finding was the presence of high serum vitamin B, levels (2000=16000 pg/ml) found in all our patients in the absence of liver damage. In three of these patients an increased serum vitamin B 12 binding capacity was observed (1500=6500 pg/ml). The diagnostic significance of these findings is discussed and it is suggested that the determination of serum vitamin 12 concentration and vitamin 12 binding proteins may be useful aids in the diagnosis of promyelocytic and myeloblastic leukaemia.