2017 Volume 79 Issue 4 Pages 367-370
A 91-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of appetite loss, anemia, and blastic cells in the peripheral blood identified by laboratory examination. Hematologists diagnosed her as having acute myeloid leukemia (they mostly suspected the M5 form of acute monocytic leukemia) based on the findings of a bone marrow biopsy. She also presented with a painful erythematous plaque on her left forearm. As no efficacy of the administration of systemic antibiotics had been observed, a skin biopsy was performed. Histopathologically, many tumoral mononuclear cells with slight nuclei atypia, which were stained by CD68, were observed in the whole dermis and the subcutaneous layer. Despite beginning chemotherapy (azacytidine therapy), her skin symptoms rapidly worsened, and the chemotherapy was terminated. She was referred to palliative care due to the rapid deterioration of her general condition. Because the infiltration of leukemia into skin is considered to be a significant sign for the poor prognosis of the leukemia, dermatologists should perform a skin biopsy to diagnose the infiltration of skin by acute myeloid leukemia.
