Pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia with bulk extramedullary disease and chromosome 22 (EWSR1) rearrangement masquerading as Ewing sarcoma.

We report a 2-year-old female with a subcutaneous tumor who was initially misdiagnosed as suffering from Ewing sarcoma with a positive EWSR1 rearrangement and EWS/FLI1 transcript. After finding lymphoblasts in peripheral blood, the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia was established. This necessitated further analysis of the subcutaneous tumor. The tissue was positive for immature B-cell markers and an immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement, which confirmed the final diagnosis of common type acute lymphoblastic leukemia with bulk extramedullary disease. The patient was treated with chemotherapy and was in remission 30 months after the diagnosis.

[Treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia with imatinib in the accelerated stage of the disease]. / Lijecenje kronicne mijeloicne leukemije u uznapredovaloj fazi bolesti imatinibom.

Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia (Ph+ CML), in advanced stage of disease, is resistant to standard chemotherapy. Imatinib was found to be effective in these patients. This paper shows our preliminary results. Imatinib mesylate was given to 15 patients during a 9-month period. Nine of them were in accelerated phase and 6 in blastic crisis of Ph+ CML. Patients were evaluated for hematologic and cytogenetic responses. Imatinib mesylate induced complete haematologic response in 12 patients (80% and cytogenetic response in 8 patients (53%). Six patients (40%) had a major cytogenetic response. After a 9-month follow up Ph+ CML progressed in 9 patients (60%) and 4 of them died. The most frequent adverse effects were edema, nausea, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Imatinib mesylate has a substantial, but short term activity in the accelerated phase and blastic crisis of the Ph+ CML.