Acquired aplastic anemia associated with trisomy eight converting into acute myeloid leukemia

Aplastic anemia (AA) is nowadays considered to be a clonal disorder arising from a defective hematopoietic stem cell developing after a generalized insult to bone marrow. Immunosuppressive treatment (IST) of AA causes suppression of the target dominant population of haematopoietic cells allowing the defective non targeted clones to expand. This may give rise to acute leukemia. Cytogenetic studies for chromosomal aberrations such as trisomy and monosomy may help in detecting such conversions. We present a case of acquired AA in a 60-year-old male presenting with pancytopenia and hypoplastic marrow treated with antithymocyte globulin, converting into myelodysplastic syndrome and later on acute promyelocytic leukemia after being in remission for 4 years. The patient was found to have trisomy 8 on fluorescence in situ hybridization and karyotyping.