Related Experiment Videos
[Generalized erythema triggered by a rapid decrease of basophils in chronic myeloid leukemia treated with imatinib].
Motoko Sugito1, Junichi Tsukada, Takehiro Higashi
1First Department Internal Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Kitakyushu.
[Rinsho Ketsueki] the Japanese Journal of Clinical Hematology
|January 31, 2006
Summary
Imatinib treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia can cause severe skin reactions. Rapidly decreasing basophil counts after imatinib therapy may trigger these adverse events.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Oncology
- Dermatology
Background:
- Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm.
- Severe basophilia is a rare but significant finding in CML.
- Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for CML treatment.
Observation:
- A 57-year-old woman with CML and severe basophilia presented with persistent high basophil counts despite imatinib therapy.
- The patient developed generalized pruritic skin erythema, chills, and high fever after 9 days of imatinib treatment.
- Discontinuation of imatinib and initiation of prednisolone led to rapid resolution of the skin rash.
Findings:
- The patient exhibited persistent severe basophilia (up to 31%) during initial imatinib treatment.
- A rapid decrease in basophil count to 3% occurred after imatinib withdrawal.
- The clinical presentation suggests a link between imatinib-induced rapid basophil reduction and severe cutaneous reactions.
Implications:
- Rapid reduction of basophils following imatinib therapy may be a potential trigger for severe cutaneous adverse reactions.
- This case highlights the importance of monitoring for skin reactions during imatinib treatment, especially in patients with high baseline basophil counts.
- Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the mechanism underlying imatinib-associated basophil reduction and subsequent dermatological events.