Abstract

Aims—Classic erythroleukaemia (acute myeloid leukaemia M6, or M6 AML) is defined as an excess of myeloblasts in an erythroid predominant background. Leukaemia variants in which the primitive blast cells are demonstrably erythroid are extremely rare and poorly characterised. Variably referred to as “true erythroleukaemia” or “acute erythremic myelosis”, they are often included within the M6 AML category even though they do not meet strict criteria for this type of AML.

Methods— Two cases of acute erythroid neoplasia are presented with clinical, morphological, immunophenotypic, and cytogenetic analysis.

Results—Both patients presented with profound anaemia, one in a setting of long standing myelodysplasia. Bone marrow examination revealed a predominant population of highly dysplastic erythroid cells in both cases. In one case, the liver was infiltrated by neoplastic erythroid cells. Both patients died within four months of diagnosis.

Conclusions—This report illustrates that cases of acute leukaemia occur in which the dominant neoplastic cell is a primitive erythroid cell without an accompanying increase in myeloblasts. This does not preclude the neoplastic clone originating in a multipotent haemopoietic stem cell, as suggested by cases arising in patients with myelodysplasia. Acute erythremic myelosis should be recognised as a distinct variant of M6 AML.