Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in the Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Analysis

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) characterized by unique clinical and biologic features. Its main characteristics are a distinctive morphology of blast cells, based on a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 15 and 17 that generates the fusion of the promyelocytic leukemia/retinoic acid receptor (PML-RAR) gene [1,2]. Not uncommonly, patients with APL can develop severe bleeding due to life threatening coagulopathy characterized by severe hypofibrinogenemia.
Source: Leukemia Research - Category: Hematology Authors: Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research