No PL in APL: No Perception of Light in Acute Promyelocytic leukemia

Laimon, Dina N.; Gad, Mohammed; Atef, Basma; Sakr, Doaa H.; Badawy, Noha; Ibrahim, Raghda; Bayomi, Noreen M.; Shaaban, Yasmine

doi:10.21608/resoncol.2024.260818.1205

	No PL in APL: No Perception of Light in Acute Promyelocytic leukemia
Research in Oncology
Article 3, Volume 20, Issue 1, June 2024, Pages 16-23 PDF (318.86 K)
Document Type: Case reports
DOI: 10.21608/resoncol.2024.260818.1205
Authors
Dina N. Laimon¹; Mohammed Gad¹; Basma Atef²; Doaa H. Sakr³; Noha Badawy²; Raghda Ibrahim²; Noreen M. Bayomi²; Yasmine Shaaban^* ²
¹Mansoura University Ophthalmic Center, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
²Clinical Hematology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
³Medical Oncology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
Abstract
Background: Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a distinct subtype of acute myeloid leukemia with a favorable prognosis. Hemorrhagic manifestations in APL at presentation are usually due to thrombocytopenia, consumptive coagulopathy, and fibrinolysis. Central nervous system (CNS) hemorrhage carries a risk for CNS relapse and early death in APL patients. Case Presentation: A 23-year-old male presented with sudden bilateral visual loss and headache. The ocular examination revealed a massive exudative retinal detachment in the right eye and bilateral dense vitreous hemorrhage. APL diagnosis was confirmed through peripheral blood and bone marrow examination, along with cytogenetic and molecular testing. The patient received 7+3 induction chemotherapy combined with All-trans-retinoic acid. After achieving complete remission, he underwent pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil injection in the right eye. Intrathecal chemotherapy was considered for CNS prophylaxis after induction. Later, he had a medullary relapse which was managed with salvage therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. Conclusion: Although APL has a favorable prognosis, its management can be complicated. It may present with retinal detachment or intraocular hemorrhage. Managing intraocular and intracranial hemorrhage is challenging due to the risks of hemorrhage and coagulopathy. This complexity is further heightened by poor visual prognosis, high risk of CNS infiltration, and potential for medullary relapse.
Keywords
Acute promyelocytic leukemia; CNS hemorrhage; Retinal detachment; Retinal hemorrhage; Vitreous hemorrhage

Statistics Article View: 226 PDF Download: 251