Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings January 2014, Volume 27, Number 1 | Página 24
Systemic mastocytosis with associated acute
myelogenous leukemia
Leah Zhrebker, MD, Barry Cooper, MD, and John R. Krause, MD
Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a condition associated with a clonal neoplastic proliferation of mast cells. Approximately 40% of patients with SM
present with an associated clonal hematological non–mast cell lineage
disorder. Patients presenting with SM–acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have
the worst prognosis. We present a case of a 62-year-old woman who was
diagnosed with SM-AML. After initial treatment with a standard regimen of
cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C)/idarubicin, her bone marrow showed residual
blasts. She was subsequently treated with a second induction regimen
of clofarabine and high-dose Ara-C, which resulted in remission of AML,
although a residual mast cell infiltrate persisted in her bone marrow. After
consolidation therapy with clofarabine/Ara-C, the patient received a stem
cell allograft. A follow-up bone marrow showed no residual blasts but
persistent mast cells occupying about 5% of the marrow volume.
astocytosis is a clonal neoplastic proliferation of
mast cells that accumulate in one or more organ
systems. According to the latest classification from
the World Health Organization, there are seven subtypes of mastocytosis (1). The second most common type of
mastocytosis is known as systemic mastocytosis with an associated clonal hematologic non–mast cell lineage disorder (SMAHNMD). These non–mast cell lineage disorders may include
myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), myeloproliferative neoplasm
(MPN), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myelogenous
leukemia, MDS/MPN, plasma cell myeloma, non-Hodgkin
lymphoma, and unclassifiable myelogenous malignancy (2).
An associated AML has the worst prognosis (3). We present a
case of mastocytosis associated with an AML and discuss the
pathology and treatment.
M
PATIENT DESCRIPTION
A 62-year-old white woman was noted to have a pancytopenia 3 years prior to admission. Her hematocrit was 30%,
white blood cell count 3300 K/uL with 44% neutrophils, and
platelet count 109,000 K/uL. Bone marrow biopsy revealed
trilinear maturation without an abnormal infiltrate and normal
cytogenetics and flow cytometry. Her spleen was enlarged, and
the liver was infiltrated by adipose tissue. Her body mass index
was 25.1 kg/m2. She was believed to have steatohepatitis with
pancytopenia secondary to hypersplenism.
22
Two years later, her pancytopenia and splenomegaly were
unchanged. She now had fatigue, dyspnea, and fever (99°F) for
2 weeks. Her white blood cell count was 63,000/mm3 with 38%
circulating blasts, hematocrit 27%, and platelets 57,000/mm3.
A bone marrow biopsy showed 50% infiltration with mast cells
and 50% myeloblasts, confirming the entity of SM-AHNMD
(Figure 1). Results of an AML fluorescent in situ hybridization
panel and routine cytogenetics were negative. She had a C-KIT
D816V mutation but no JAK-2 mutation. Her serum tryptase
level was 189 ng/mL (normal level, <11.4).
The patient was admitted to the hospital and underwent
induction chemotherapy with cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C)
(100 mg/m2/day by continuous infusion for 7 days) and idarubicin (12 mg/m2/day for 3 days). She was also started on
dasatinib at 100 mg orally daily. Bone marrow biopsy 14 days
after induction of treatment revealed persistent myeloblasts and
mast cell infiltrate requiring a second course of therapy with 5
days of high-dose Ara-C (1 g/m2/day) and clofarabine (40 mg/
m2/day). Because of the persistent mast cell infiltrate, dasatinib
was discontinued. Her blood counts recovered on discharge,
except for a platelet count of 40,000 K/uL. Her white blood cell
count was 8,900 K/uL, and her hematocrit was 32.2%.
Repeat bone marrow biopsy showed no residual myeloblasts,
with residual mast cells of 15%. Her tryptase level decreased to
77 ng/mL. She was readmitted 3 weeks later for consolidation
chemotherapy with clofarabine/Ara-C. Four weeks later she had
a stem cell allograft using an unrelated donor with a preparative
regimen of busulfan and cyclophosphamide. Follow-up marrow
revealed no evidence of AML, 5% residual mast cell infiltrate,
and focal increased reticular fibrosis.
DISCUSSION
The diagnosis of SM-AHNMD may be difficult to establish,
as the histologic and cytologic features of systemic mastocytosis
From the Department of Hematology/Oncology (Zhrebker, Cooper) and the
Department of Pathology, Section of Hematopathology (Krause), Baylor University
Medical Center at Dallas and the Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at
Dallas.
Corresponding author: Leah Zhrebker, MD, Department of Hematology/Oncology,
Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, 3500 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, TX 75246
(e-mail: [email protected]).
Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2014;27(1):22–24