Conjunctival infiltration as the first sign of acute myelomonocytic (M4) leukemia in a 2-year-old child

Kiratli H., Bilgic S., Emec S.

JOURNAL OF AAPOS, vol.10, no.4, pp.375-376, 2006 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 10 Issue: 4
  • Publication Date: 2006
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2006.02.010
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF AAPOS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.375-376
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) arises in the bone marrow from a mutant hematopoietic pluripotential cell which, in most cases, evolves with predominantly granulocytic features.' In infants, AML is the most common type of leukemia, but in children, it represents only 15% to 20% of leukemias.(1) Hematopoiesis is impeded, and clinical signs and symptoms become evident as the number of neoplastic cells attains 10 billion. After meninges and testes, the eye and orbit together is the third most frequent site of extramedullary leukemic involvement.(1) An autopsy study on eyes from patients of all age groups found that 82% of patients with acute leukemia had some form of ocular 2 involvement. In 30% of cases, isolated ocular findings may be the first sign of relapse. 3 However, on rare occasions, ocular infiltration may be the initial sign of leukemia. We herein present a child whose unilateral subconjunctival tumor was the first manifestation of AML, M4 subtype according to the French-AmericanBritish classification system.(4)