Analysis of 59 cases of congenital leukemia reported between 2001 and 2016

Characteristics and treatment of acute myeloid neoplasms with cutaneous involvement in infants up to 6 months of age: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Myeloid neoplasms account for 50% of cases of pediatric leukemias in infants. Approximately 25%-50% of patients with newborn leukemia have cutaneous extramedullary disease (EMD). In less than 10% of patients, aleukemic leukemia cutis or isolated extramedullary disease with cutaneous involvement (cEMD) occurs when skin lesions appear prior to bone marrow involvement and systemic symptoms. Interestingly, in acute myeloid leukemia with cutaneous EMD (AML-cEMD) and cEMD, spontaneous remissions have been reported.

METHOD

This is a multicentric retrospective cohort study aiming to describe characteristics, treatment, and outcome of infants with either cEMD or presence of cutaneous disease with involvement of the bone marrow (AML-cEMD). This study included patients born between 1990 and 2018 from Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States, diagnosed between 0 and 6 months of life with cEMD or AML-cEMD. Descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact test, Kaplan-Meier method, and log rank test were applied.

RESULTS

The cohort consisted of n = 50 patients, including 42 AML-cEMD and eight cEMD patients. The most common genetic mutation found was a KMT2A rearrangement (n = 26, 52%). Overall 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 66% [confidence interval (CI): 51-78] and 75% [CI: 60-85], respectively. In two patients, complete spontaneous remission occurred without any therapy. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement was found in 25% of cEMD patients. No difference in outcomes was observed between the AML-cEMD and cEMD groups, but none of the latter patients included in the study died. KMT2A rearrangements were not associated with poorer prognosis.

CONCLUSION

In the largest cohort to date, our study describes the characteristics of infants with cutaneous involvement of myeloid neoplasms including cytomolecular findings and survival rates. Further prospective biologic and clinical studies of these infants with myeloid neoplasms will be required to individualize therapy for this rare patient population.

[SFCE harmonization workshops: Neonatal acute myeloid leukemia]

Neonatal acute myeloid leukemias (AML) occurred within the first 28 days of life and constitute only a small proportion of all AL. They are distinguished from leukemias of older children by their clinical presentation, which frequently includes cutaneous localizations ("blueberry muffin rash syndrome") and a leukocytosis above 50 ×109/L. This proliferation may be transient, causing a transient leukemoid reaction in a background of constitutional trisomy 21 ("Transient Abnormal Myelopoieseis" or TAM) or Infantile Myeloproliferative Disease in the absence of constitutional trisomy 21 ("Infantile Myeloproliferative Disease" or IMD). In cases of true neonatal AML, the prognosis of patients is poor. Overall survival is around 35 % in the largest historical series. This poor prognosis is mainly due to the period of onset of this pathology making the use of chemotherapy more limited and involving many considerations, both ethical and therapeutic. The objective of this work is to review this rare pathology by addressing the clinical, biological, therapeutic and ethical particularities of patients with true neonatal AML or transient leukemoid reactions occurring in a constitutional trisomy 21 (true TAM) or somatic background (IMD).

Enlarged Abdominal Lymph Node as a Cause of Polyhydramnios in the Course of Congenital Neonatal Leukaemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature on Foetal Abdominal Tumours with Coexisting Polyhydramnios

Polyhydramnios represents a complication found in 0.2–2% of pregnancies, and it is usually diagnosed between 31 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Although most cases of polyhydramnios are idiopathic, maternal diabetes or foetal malformations constitute frequent causes of the excessive accumulation of the amniotic fluid. Considering the latter, polyhydramnios may rarely be caused by foetal abdominal tumours, with the incidence rate of 2–14 cases per 100,000 live births. Congenital neonatal leukaemia (CNL) is a rare disease with a reported incidence rate of 5–8.6 cases per million live births. In the prenatal period, the ultrasound abnormalities associated with CNL include hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. In this paper, we presented a case of polyhydramnios caused by mechanical pressure on the foetal gastrointestinal tract by an enlarged lymph node in the course of CNL, as well as reviewing the available literature on foetal abdominal tumours with concurrent polyhydramnios.

Congenital acute myeloid leukemia: challenges and lessons. A 15-year experience from the UK

Congenital Acute Myeloid leukemia (CAML) is a rare leukemia diagnosed within the first 28 days of life. Dismal survival rates of approximately 25% at two years from diagnosis have not improved despite multiple treatment protocols, and there lacks international consensus for optimal management of these vulnerable patients. We report a retrospective analysis of our fifteen-year experience from a large UK tertiary pediatric center, focusing on treatment modalities and outcomes, including late therapeutic toxicities. To our knowledge, this is the first UK series of congenital leukemia patients reported. Twelve patients with a median age of 16.4 days (1-60) were diagnosed with CAML in fifteen years. All patients presented unwell; 92% demonstrating skin involvement. 10 (83%) received chemotherapy; with 1 death at presentation and 1 spontaneous remission. 5 (42%) received subsequent stem cell transplant. Only 4 (33%) remain alive, with 5 (42%) dying in disease remission with treatment-related mortality. Documented cardiotoxicity was observed in 3 (25%) patients, with a further 2 (17%) suspected but not receiving postmortem. Treatment of congenital AML raises challenging diagnostic, therapeutic and ethical questions and requires multi-center, international collaboration to see improvements.

Neonatal Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with t(9;11) Translocation Presenting as Blueberry Muffin Baby: Successful Treatment by ALL-BFM Induction Therapy, Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation from an Unrelated Donor, and PCR-MRD-Guided Post-Transplant Follow-Up

Patient: Male, 3-day-old

Final Diagnosis: Neonatal leukemia

Symptoms: Skin lesions

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: Biopsy • stem cell transplant

Specialty: Hematology • Pediatrics and Neonatology