Diagnosis and treatment of a patient with isolated spinal granulocytic sarcoma: A case report

Epidural Spinal Cord Compression as the Presenting Manifestation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report and Literature Review

We herein report a rare case of spinal cord compression due to epidural involvement of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A 14-year-old boy presented with a 7-day history of back pain, paraplegia and hypoesthesia. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed an epidural mass. Emergency laminectomy and resection of the mass were performed. Histopathologically, the resected mass was comparable to an extramedullary mass of AML. Chemotherapy was initiated, and complete remission was achieved. Neurological sequelae remained after the treatment. Based on the present and previous reports, spinal cord compression from epidural AML involvement may progress rapidly.

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of primary isolated aggressive lumbar myeloid sarcoma: a rare case report and review of the literatures

BACKGROUND

Myeloid sarcoma is a rare, extramedullary, solid tumor derived from immature myeloid cell precursors. It is most frequently accompanied by acute myelogenous leukemia, though infrequently found in non-acute myelogenous leukemia patients. The tumor may involve any part of the body, but the lumbar spine is seldom involved. The present case study aims to understand the diagnosis and surgical treatment of a rare primary isolated myeloid sarcoma of the lumbar spine causing aggressive spinal cord compression in a non-acute myelogenous leukemia patient.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 29-year-old man complained of an aggressive radiating pain to the lower extremities and moderate dysuria with a Visual Analogue Scale score that gradually increased from 3 to 8. Lumbar enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography revealed a lumbar canal lesion at lumbar spine L2 to L4 with spinal cord compression. A whole body bone scan with fused single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography demonstrated abnormal ^99mTc-methylene diphosphonate accumulation in the L3 lamina and spinous process. No evidence of infection or hematology disease was observed in laboratory tests. Due to rapid progression of the symptoms and lack of a clear diagnosis, decompression surgery was performed immediately. During the operation, an approximately 6.0 × 2.5 × 1.2 cm monolithic, fusiform, soft mass in the epidural space and associated lesion tissues were completely resected. The radiating pain was relieved immediately and the dysuria disappeared within 1 week. Intraoperative pathological frozen section analysis revealed a hematopoietic malignant tumor and postoperative immunohistochemistry examination confirmed the diagnosis of myeloid sarcoma.

CONCLUSIONS

The primary isolated aggressive lumbar myeloid sarcoma is rarely seen, the specific symptoms and related medical history are unclear. Surgery and hematological treatment are effective for understanding and recognizing this rare tumor.

18 FDG-PET/CT: 21st century approach to leukemic tumors in 124 cases

Extramedullary tumors remain an obstacle to curing more acute leukemia patients. Their incidence is unknown because the presence of occult tumors that contribute to relapse is not routinely sought as in other cancers. No standard approach exists for treating tumors at most sites, apparent clinical response is typically followed by further tumors, and achievement of lengthy remission is uncommon. Body scanning with (18) FDG PET/CT now provides a means to identify the extent of occult tumors that enables directed tumor eradication and a way to evaluate tumor response. To evaluate its potential benefits, analysis was undertaken of 124 published cases scanned after apparent tumors were diagnosed. Clinical and radiologic exams underestimated extent of disease in over half of 100 cases. Among 70 cases that reported scans after various treatments, 70% achieved negative scans. Half relapsed subsequently but disease-free survivals up to 6 years were documented. These reported cases add to our knowledge of extramedullary leukemia in showing that further tumors are more likely than marrow relapse, clinical and radiologic evaluation of response is inadequate, intensive chemotherapy alone generally does not prevent progression and is associated with significant mortality, and tumor-directed plus systemic therapies appears the most effective approach, particularly to AML tumors. This analysis suggests this technology could increase our ability to eradicate all foci of leukemia, and identify tumors responsible for refractory, residual, and relapsed disease.

Multifocal granulocytic sarcoma of the spine mimicking neurofibromatosis Type 2: case report

In this report the authors report on a patient with a very indolent course of granulocytic sarcoma, characterized by steroid-induced remission of spinal and cranial tumors and recurrence over a period of several years. This 24-year-old man with history of leukemia presented with rapid-onset quadriparesis secondary to multiple extraaxial masses of the cervicothoracic spine, from C-5 to T-3, and lumbosacral spine, from L-5 to the coccyx. Although the imaging features were highly suggestive of neurofibromatosis Type 2, the patient's history and clinical course were consistent with granulocytic sarcoma; repeat imaging and, later, needle biopsy definitively established the diagnosis of granulocytic sarcoma. Laminectomy and surgical decompression of the spine were not required and, arguably, could have posed unnecessary risk to the patient. This case illustrates that the successful management of a patient presenting with profound neurological deficits due to intradural spinal cord tumors may sometimes be nonsurgical.

Non-leukemic myeloid sarcoma involving the vulva, vagina, and cervix: a case report and literature review

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is defined as a tumor mass consisting of myeloid blast with or without maturation occurring at an anatomical site other than bone marrow with normal architectural effacement. It can also precede the onset of leukemia which is called non-leukemic MS. Non-leukemic MS is a kind of rare disease and easy to be misdiagnosed as other common malignancies due to the rarity and nonspecific manifestation. We herein report an unusual case of non-leukemic MS involving the vulva, vagina, and cervix in a female patient. The bone marrow aspiration and biopsy of the patient revealed no hematological abnormality. Immunohistochemical staining of the biopsies was strongly positive for myeloperoxidase, CD68, leukocyte common antigen (LCA), CD117, CD34, CD38, CD79a, and negative for cytokeratin (CK), epithelial memberane antigen (EMA), CD2, CD3, CD20, CD5, CD138. Then a diagnosis of non-leukemic MS was made. Unfortunately, our patient received only one cycle of chemotherapy consisting of cytosine arabinoside and daunorubicin, then refused any further treatment and died 4 months after diagnosis. Although systemic chemotherapy is widely accepted to be a promising strategy, its benefit still needs to be further assessed. Certain questions still need to be answered for this disease: 1) Why can approximately 20% of the patients with non-leukemic MS remain disease-free after local therapy alone? 2) How many cycles of chemotherapy are needed for these patients after achievement of complete remission? 3) What are the prognostic or risk factors in these patients who have no abnormality of karyotype, fusion genes, or gene mutation to predict responsiveness to chemotherapy and outcome? 4) What is the risk factor for relapse? The rarity of non-leukemic MS makes it almost impossible to conduct large-scale randomized trials, but judicious study for each patient with MS is helpful for a further understanding of the nature of the disease.

Isolated primary intracranial myeloid sarcoma with neuromeningeal infiltration: A case report

Myeloid sarcoma is a rare extramedullary malignant tumor, which is often accompanied by the development of systemic myeloid disease at various sites. The involvement of the central nervous system is uncommon and spinal cord compression is particularly rare. In November 2012, a 27-year-old male presented with a paroxysmal headache, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, which had persisted for one year, and eyesight deterioration that had been apparent for five months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated a space-occupying disorder, a craniotomy to resect the brain tumor was undertaken, the pathological diagnosis of which was myeloid sarcoma. Two months after receiving 40 Gy of radiotherapy, the patient experienced numbness of the right thigh. MRI of the lumbar spinal canal revealed a mass involved both inside and outside the lumbar spinal canal. Pathological examination of the mass following resection also indicated myeloid sarcoma. Immunohistochemical analysis was positive for the ETO fusion gene in the bone marrow. Following six cycles of chemotherapy treatment, the patient achieved complete remission. At present, the patient is stable and is attending follow-up examinations regularly.

Sacral myeloid sarcoma involving multiple metastases to the brain: A case report

The presentation of myeloid sarcoma (MS) in the bone is common; however, rarely does the tumor occur in the sacral spine, and in a normal patient with no history of acute myeloid leukemia. The present study describes the rare case of a previously healthy 24-year-old male patient, who presented with a history of six months of repeated pain in the right leg and hip and limping for less than a month, who was diagnosed with sacral MS. Despite receiving surgical management and chemotherapy promptly subsequent to the diagnosis and undergoing close observation following the treatment, the patient still developed metastases to multiple sites of the brain. Taking into account the similar presentation of this rare disease to other entities, the early and accurate diagnosis of MS is vital, and the condition should be considered as a threatening manifestation with the possibility of metastasis to other sites of the body.

Granulocytic sarcoma: a systematic review

Granulocytic sarcoma also called myeloid sarcoma is an extramedullary tumor of immature granulocytic cells. It is a rare entity, and mostly accompanied by acute myeloid leukemia. It is observed during the course of myeloproliferative disorders especially in chronic myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. In some rare circumstances, it is detected before clinical signs of leukemia or other diseases. When the bone marrow biopsy reveals no other hematologic malignancies, the granulocytic sarcoma is described as nonleukemic, primary or isolated. It is observed at any part of the body but the most common locations are soft tissues, bone, peritoneum and lymph nodes. Presenting signs or symptoms are mainly due to mass effect of the tumor and dysfunction of the organ, or the tissue that is affected. The diagnosis is performed by biopsy of the tumor. The tumor consists of immature granulocytic cells, which could be documented by H&E, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometric methods. Fluorescence in-situ hybridization and molecular analysis are also performed. The optimal time and type of treatment is not clear. Surgery could be an option especially for tumors, which cause organ dysfunction and/or obstruction. Systemic treatment should be considered in all patients because without systemic treatment, relapses and progression to acute myeloid leukemia is the ultimate fate of the disease in many cases. Cytarabine-containing remission-induction chemotherapies have been the most applied therapeutic strategies, but it is not clear whether the consolidation therapies are required or not, and what kind of regimens are appropriate. The role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSC) as a consolidation regimen is not clear, but, after the relapse of the disease with or without bone marrow involvement, HSC transplantation should be considered in suitable patients after the reinduction performed by AML chemotherapies. There is only limited data about the role of radiotherapy in these patients. It could be used in patients with relapsed disease, organ dysfunction which should be quickly relieved and inadequate response to chemotherapy. The effect of radiotherapy on overall survival is not known. New prospective studies and clinical trials are needed to generate guidelines for the treatment of primary granulocytic sarcomas.

Generalized lymphadenopathy as the first presentation of granulocytic sarcoma: a diagnostic challenge

Introduction. Granulocytic sarcoma (GS), also known as chloroma or extramedullary myeloblastoma, is a solid tumor composed of primitive precursors of the granulocytic series that include myeloblasts, promyelocytes, and myelocytes. Granulocytic sarcoma is a rare tumor that may develop during acute myeloid leukemia (AML) but less frequently may precede its presentation. Although generalized lymph node enlargement is a presentation for malignant lymphoma, it can also rarely be the early presenting sign of GS. Methods. We present a case of GS mimicking lymphoma in a 45-year-old male. The patient presented with bilateral neck masses and had widespread, prominent lymphadenopathy secondary to AML as the first presenting manifestation of GS for the last 4 months with concurrent marrow AML. Result. A clinical diagnosis of lymphoma was suspected; fine needle aspiration cytology findings were also suggestive of lymphoma. However, peripheral blood and bone marrow examination reported as acute myeloid leukemia with monocytic differentiation and histopathology of excised lymph node confirmed it to be a GS not lymphoma. Conclusion. GS is often misdiagnosed as malignant lymphoma because of cytomorphologic and histologic similarities of the blasts to large cell lymphoma. A careful search for immature myeloid is a useful clue to the diagnosis accompanied with appropriate immunophenotyping.