BACKGROUND Acute erythroid leukaemia (AEL) is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), constituting <5% of all the cases of AML. The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001 classified AEL into two types: (1) erythroid/myeloid leukaemia which required ≥50% erythroid precursors with ≥20% of the non-erythroid cells to be myeloid blasts and (2) pure erythroleukemia (pEL) with ≥80% erythrobl...

Leukaemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood characterised by abnormal differentiation of haematopoietic stem cells and subsequent overproliferation of blood cells that cannot properly mature. Myeloid leukaemias (also termed myelogenous or granulocytic leukaemias) usually involve the overproduction of immature granulocytic white blood cells, known as blasts (in contrast to lymphoblastic l...

As defined by the World Health Organization classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissue, myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a tumor mass of myeloblasts or immature myeloid cells that can arise before, concurrent with, or following acute myeloid leukaemia. We describe a case of secondary leukemia presenting itself as MS of the breast in a patient previously treated for a non-Hodgkin's Lym...

The outlook for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia has improved in the past 30 years. Unlike other cancers, much of this progress is attributable to refinement of supportive treatment, rather than the introduction of new drugs. New antibacterial and antifungal agents, antiemetics, and improved transfusion support have decreased the rate of early death, and morbidity and mortality from alloge...

BACKGROUND (-)-Epicatechin (EC) induces oxidative DNA damage in HL-60 cells. The association between genotoxic and apoptotic/necrotic effects of EC was studied in rats with acute myeloid leukaemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Healthy and leukaemic rats were given EC by oral gavage at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight for 22 consecutive days. Bone marrow cells were subjected to analysis of DNA damage b...

Thirty four out of 750 patients entered into the Medical Research Council's (MRC) 9th Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Trial had more than 1% basophils (range 1-27%) often with bizarre granulation and primitive forms, a rare finding in this disease. Both normal and abnormal karyotypes were present including abnormalities of 6p, 12p, and the Philadelphia chromosome. Basophilia was found in both "monoline...

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is characterized by a block in differentiation and an unregulated proliferation of myeloid progenitor cells. While the cause of AML in children is unknown, risk factors that have been identified include exposure to toxins such as ethanol, pesticides and dietary topoisomerase II inhibitors, prior chemotherapy with alkylating agents or topoisomerase II inhibitors, co...

This study examined the ability of the semi-synthetic vinca alkaloid, Vinorelbine/Navelbine, to cause apoptotic death in freshly obtained primary leukaemia cells from 53 patients with haematological malignancies, including 22 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), 24 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), three patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia in blast crisis (CML...

Pulmonary haemorrhage is a common necropsy finding in acute leukaemia, however, it is rarely diagnosed during life. A man with acute myeloid leukaemia is reported who presented with disseminated fungal infection, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, and subconjuctival and petechial haemorrhages. During the course of the patient's illness, the chest infection was complicated with bilateral pulmonary haemo...

EMJ EUROPEAN MEDICAL JOURNAL HEMATOLOGY • August 2017 • Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 EMJ EUROPEAN MEDICAL JOURNAL 52 53 PATIENTS IN FOCUS: WHAT’S RELEVANT FOR CHRONIC MYELOID LEUKAEMIA AND PHILADELPHIA CHROMOSOME-POSITIVE ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKAEMIA? This satellite symposium took place on 22nd June 2017 as part of the 22nd European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress in M...