Spontaneous remission in acute myeloid leukemia: A Case Report

Spontaneous remission of Acute Myeloid leukaemia (AML) is an uncommon event, temporary and its mechanism is yet to be determined. We report here a case of spontaneous remission of AML in a 35 years old male who was diagnosed with AML (M4) in Jan 2011. He presented very ill with fever, bleeding tendency and oral candidacies. He received supportive care only and chemotherapy was withheld. His general condition improved and fever subsided. White blood cell (WBC) count started to drop spontaneously and gradually until he became leukopenic and developed febrile neutropenia. After the second recovery, his full blood count (FBC) and bone marrow examination showed haematological remission. He was followed up for six weeks after which relapse occurred. Chemotherapy was started immediately, but unfortunately was not continued because of sepsis. The patient died four weeks after relapse. Other reports on the spontaneous remission of AML showed a similar temporary period of remission with different duration, and then followed by relapse. Possible mechanisms of spontaneous remission in AML are discussed with a review of the literature.

Acute myeloid leukemia, spontaneous remission.