Acute myelomonocytic leukaemia

Definition

Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) (see this term) is a group of malignant bone marrow neoplasms of myeloid precursors of white blood cells. Acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AML-M4) is a common type of pediatric AML. However, the condition is rare and represents approximately 3 % of all leukemias during childhood and has an incidence of 1.1-1.7 per million per year. The symptoms may be aspecific: asthenia, pallor, fever, dizziness and respiratory symptoms. More specific symptoms are bruises and/or (excessive) bleeding, coagulation disorders (DIC), neurological disorders and gingival hyperplasia. Diagnostic methods include blood analysis, bone marrow aspirate for cytochemical, immunological and cytogenetical analysis, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) investigations. A characteristic chromosomal abnormality observed in AML-M4 is inv(16). Treatment includes intensive multidrug chemotherapy and in selected cases allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Nevertheless, outcome of AML remains poor with an overall survival of 35-60%. Children with AML-M4 carrying the inv(16) abnormality have a better prognosis (61% 5-year overall survival). New therapeutics are required to increase the probability of cure in this serious disorder.

Also indexed as

Nearby in Acute myeloid leukaemia, not elsewhere classified by criteria of other types

• 2A60.30Acute myeloid leukaemia with minimal differentiation
• 2A60.31Acute myeloid leukaemia without maturation
• 2A60.32Acute myeloid leukaemia with maturation
• 2A60.34Acute monoblastic or monocytic leukaemia
• 2A60.35Acute erythroid leukaemia
• 2A60.36Acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia
• 2A60.37Acute basophilic leukaemia
• 2A60.38Acute panmyelosis with myelofibrosis