A patient with chronic myeloid leukemia and situs inversus totalis: A case report

In the present study, a case of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with complete situs inversus in a 68-year-old female patient was reported. The patient presented with general weakness, abdominal distension and tenderness in the right hypochondrium. A chest X-ray revealed a right-sided heart. Ultrasonography revealed situs inversus totalis. A bone marrow smear demonstrated CML in the accelerated phase. Imatinib mesylate was subsequently administered; the patient stopped taking imatinib mesylate following discharge from the hospital. The patient presented with dizziness, fatigue, and abdominal distention and pain 1 year subsequently. A bone marrow smear demonstrated CML in the blast crisis phase; CML had progressed to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) M2a. The patient was treated with imatinib mesylate and cytarabine. After 5 days, the white blood cell count had decreased compared with that measured at the time of admission, and the previous relevant symptoms had disappeared. The patient succumbed to AML 3 months after discharge from the hospital. Situs inversus totalis is an uncommon congenital anomaly that often occurs concomitantly with other disorders. The present study documented, to the best of our knowledge, the second recorded case of CML in a patient with situs inversus totalis. Previous studies on the pathogenesis of situs inversus have suggested it is caused by embryonic cells failing to rotate normally during early embryonic development. Although there are case reports of situs inversus totalis in patients with cancer, there are few reports on the association between situs inversus totalis and cancer. The present study examined a case of CML with situs inversus totalis and assessed whether the latter may be associated with cancer.