A Pulmonary Syndrome in Patients with Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia and Inversion of Chromosome 16

• Published in: Leukemia & lymphoma 2003, Vol.44 (1), p.103-109
• Main Authors: Perez-Zincer, Fernando, Juturi, Jaya V., Hsi, Eric D., Hoeltge, Gerald A., Rybicki, Lisa A., Kalaycio, Matt E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute myelomonocytic leukemia; Adult; Aged; Bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia; Case-Control Studies; Chromosome 16 inversion; Chromosome Inversion; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia - diagnosis; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia - drug therapy; Cryptogenic Organizing Pneumonia - etiology; Female; Humans; Incidence; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Acute - complications; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Acute - genetics; Lung Diseases - diagnosis; Lung Diseases - epidemiology; Lung Diseases - etiology; Male; Middle Aged; Pulmonary complications; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 1042-8194; 1029-2403
• DOI: 10.3109/10428190309178819

Different subtypes of acute myelogenous leukemia have distinct clinical presentations and courses. The specific clinical and molecular aspects of these leukemias have helped modify and create specific strategies for their management. We observed an increased incidence of pulmonary complications in patients with acute myelomonocytic leukemias (AMML) with inversion of chromosome 16 [inv(16)] irrespective of the presence of hyperleukocytosis. We reviewed patient records available over a period of 12 years at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation of patients with AMML with inv(16) and compared the incidence of pulmonary complications to a matched control group of patients with AMML but without inv(16). We found an increased incidence of pulmonary complications in the AMML with inv(16) group when compared to the control group. Two of these patients demonstrated brochiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia (BOOP) on lung biopsy. No specific etiology for the pulmonary complications was identified. These findings represent the first observation of an association between WHO-AMML with inv(16) [FAB-AML M4 with inv(16)] with a pulmonary syndrome at presentation. BOOP should be suspected in these cases. A larger prospective study to evaluate this association is warranted.