A myelodysplastic syndrome preceding acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Abstract

The bone marrow of a patient with pancytopenia showed dyserythropoiesis, dysmegakaryocytopoiesis and 13% blasts. The patient was hypertransfused and the pancytopenia resolved completely for 1 mo., while the blastic infiltration in the bone marrow remained. Three months later a frank acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed. A previously unreported myelodysplastic syndrome preceding acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), erythroid hyperplasia, ineffective erythropoiesis, dyserythropoiesis, dysmegakaryocytopoiesis and infiltration by initially less than 30% blasts was reported.