Atypical complication in acute promyelocytic leukemia

Abstract

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a distinct subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a generally good prognosis but characterized by potentially severe hemorrhagic complications due to coagulopathy, and thus possibly high early mortality. We present the case of a young patient with APL, with a complication which was unresponsive to conservative treatment and required surgical resection, namely herpetic lesion complicated with infection and necrosis. This case sustains the importance of teamwork in hematologic patients.

Keywords

• acute promyelocytic leukemia
• coagulopathy
• infections
• surgical resection