Premium
Pediatric leukemia cutis: A case series
Author(s) -
Andriescu Elena Corina,
Coughlin Carrie C.,
Cheng Carol E.,
Prajapati Vimal H.,
Huang Jennifer T.,
Schmidt Birgitta A.,
Degar Barbara A.,
Aplenc Richard,
Pillai Vinodh,
Yan Albert C.,
Liang Marilyn G.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
pediatric dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.542
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1525-1470
pISSN - 0736-8046
DOI - 10.1111/pde.13864
Subject(s) - medicine , leukemia cutis , leukemia , myeloid leukemia , childhood leukemia , pediatrics , lymphoblastic leukemia
Background Pediatric leukemia cutis ( LC ) is often difficult to diagnose due to similarity in appearance to other dermatologic diseases. Several case reports and smaller case series have been published in the medical literature, but studies on larger cohorts of children with LC are lacking. Objective This study aimed to better characterize the clinical features, course, and prognosis of LC in the pediatric population. Methods We performed a retrospective case series of 31 patients diagnosed with LC at Boston Children's Hospital and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Results The number and morphology of LC lesions varied among patients, with the head and lower extremities being the most common sites of involvement. Leukemia cutis presented concomitantly with systemic leukemia in the majority of cases. Most cases of LC arose during initial leukemia episodes, rather than with relapsed leukemia. Acute myeloid leukemia was the subtype most frequently associated with LC , followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Diagnosis altered treatment timing and therapeutic decisions. Conclusion Children most often present concomitantly with LC and systemic leukemia. Since the morphology and distribution of LC varies, physicians must maintain a high index of suspicion for this diagnosis, as the presence of LC may change the management of systemic leukemia.