Spontaneous remission of congenital leukemia: a case for conservative treatment

A newborn infant with spontaneous remission of congenital leukemia cutis is described and a literature review of this uncommon phenomenon is provided. In view of the unusual and unpredictable behavior of this disease, chemotherapy should be withheld unless there is evidence of an 11q23 translocation or progressive disease. Otherwise, overall survival does not appear to be affected by adopting a conservative approach. Because of occasional late relapses, long-term follow-up is recommended. The biologic basis underlying spontaneous remission of congenital leukemia is unknown; therefore, molecular or molecular cytogenetic analysis of DNA obtained from a skin biopsy is recommended.