Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia

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Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia
Classification and external resources
ICD-O: M9910/3
MeSH D007947

Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) is a form of leukemia where a majority of the blasts are megakaryoblastic.[1]

It is classified under M7 in the French-American-British classification.[2]

It is associated with GATA1, and risks are increased in individuals with Down syndrome.[3] However, not all cases are associated with Down syndrome,[4] and other genes can also be associated with AMKL.[5]

This category of AML is associate with 30% or more blasts in the marrow, blast are identified as being of megakaryocyte lineage by; Expression of megakaryocyte specific antigens and platelet peroxidase reaction on electron microscopy.

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[edit] Signs and Symptoms

In adults include pancytopenia with low blast counts in the blood, myelofibrosis, an absence of lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly, poor response to chemptherapy,and short clinical course. In children; the same clinical presentation but with variable course especially in very young children; both leukocytosis and organomegaly may be present in children with M7. Complete remission and long term survival are more common in children than adults. In the first three of life megakaryoblastic leukemia is the most common type of leukemia in patients with Downs syndrome.[6]

[edit] Diagnosis

The morphology of cells was observed by means of bone marrow smear; the immunophenotype was detected by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry assay.[7]

In blood and bone marrow smears megakaryoblasts are usually medium sized to large cells with a high nuclear- cytoplasmic ratio. Nuclear chromatin is dense and homogeneous. There is scanty, variable basophilic cytoplasm which may be vacuolated. An irregular cytoplasmic border is often noted in some of the megakaryoblasts and occasionally projections resembling budding atypical platelets are present. Megakaryoblasts lack myeloperoxidase activity and stain negatively with sudan black B. They are alpha naphthyl butyrate esterase negative and manifest variable alpha naphythyl acetate esterase activity usually in scattered clumps or granules in the cytoplasm. PAS staining also varies from negative to focal or granular positivity, to strongly positive staining. A marrow aspirate is difficult to obtain in many cases because of variable degree of myelofibrosis. More precise identification by immunophenotyping or with electron microscopy (EM). Immunophenotyping using MoAb to megakaryocyte restricted antigen (CD41 and CD61) may be diagnostic.[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Final Diagnosis -- Case 439. Retrieved on 2008-03-08.
  2. ^ Acute Myeloid Leukemia - Signs and Symptoms.
  3. ^ Hitzler JK, Cheung J, Li Y, Scherer SW, Zipursky A (2003). "GATA1 mutations in transient leukemia and acute megakaryoblastic leukemia of Down syndrome". Blood 101 (11): 4301–4. doi:10.1182/blood-2003-01-0013. PMID 12586620. 
  4. ^ Hama A, Yagasaki H, Takahashi Y, et al (2008). "Acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia (AMKL) in children: a comparison of AMKL with and without Down syndrome". Br. J. Haematol. 140 (5): 552–61. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2141.2007.06971.x. PMID 18275433. 
  5. ^ Gu TL, Mercher T, Tyner JW, et al (2007). "A novel fusion of RBM6 to CSF1R in acute megakaryoblastic leukemia". Blood 110 (1): 323–33. doi:10.1182/blood-2006-10-052282. PMID 17360941. 
  6. ^ Hitzler JK. (2007) Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia in Down syndrome. Pediatr Blood Cancer. Dec;49(7 Suppl):1066-9. PMID: 17943965.
  7. ^ Lei Q, Liu Y, Tang SQ (2007). "[Childhood acute megakaryoblastic leukemia]" (in Chinese). Zhongguo Shi Yan Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi 15 (3): 528–32. PMID 17605859. 
  8. ^ Vardiman JW, Harris NL, Brunning RD (2002). "The World Health Organization (WHO) classification of the myeloid neoplasms". Blood 100 (7): 2292–302. doi:10.1182/blood-2002-04-1199. PMID 12239137. 

[edit] External link