Acute monoblastic leukemia with abnormal eosinophils and inversion (16): A rare entity

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Cytogenetics
• Oncology

Background:

• Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous stem cell malignancy.
• Classification relies on morphology and genetic markers.
• Pericentric inversion of chromosome 16 (inv(16)) is a known cytogenetic abnormality in AML.

Observation:

• The inv(16) is typically associated with AML M4 subtype and eosinophilia.
• This genetic abnormality usually indicates a favorable prognosis.
• A rare instance of inv(16) was observed in a patient with AML M5.

Findings:

• The study reports a unique case of AML M5 presenting with inv(16).
• Abnormal eosinophils were noted in conjunction with this rare genetic finding.
• This represents one of approximately 20 reported cases globally.

Implications:

• This case expands the known spectrum of genetic abnormalities in AML M5.
• It challenges the typical association of inv(16) solely with AML M4.
• Further research is needed to understand the prognostic significance of inv(16) in AML M5.