A case of “microgranular” acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is reported.
The patient, a 19-yr-old female was admitted to our hospital because of epigastralgia and hemorrhagic tendency. On physical examination on 1/2/80, she was found to be not so pale but suffered from genital bleeding. There were some ecchymoses and petechiae on extremities. Her temperature was 38.8°C. The hemoglobin was 13.1g/d
l, the WBC counts 93,500/μ
l, the platelet counts 22,000/μ
l, the prothrombin time 18.2 sec (control: 12.0 sec), the plasma fibrinogen 41.5mg/d
l, and the fibrin degeradation products 40μg/d
l (normal: <20μg/d
l). The atypical cells were found 93% in the peripheral blood as well as 94.4% in the bone marrow. This atypical cell had only a few fine, dustlike azurophilic granules, but neither Auer rods nor progranules. The chracteristic distribution of granules seen in APL was observed only by transmission electron microscopy.
BHAC-DMP therapy was begun for initial remission induction chemotherapy with combined use of heparin. Twelve days after the start of the chemotherapy, the atypical cells of BM showed the presence of numerous coarse, azurophilic granules seen in APL and multiple Auer rods in Wright-Giemsa stain. A complete remission was achieved by BHAC-DMP regimen, which was maintained for 17 days. During relapse of APL, cytogenetic analysis with banding techniques, of cells from BM and unstimulated PB revealed no abnormalities such as the 15; 17 translocation. The patient died on 10/9/80.
This paper should be the first case report of “microgranular” APL in Japan on literatures.
View full abstract