Mucocutaneous granulocytic sarcomas of the head and neck

Granulocytic sarcomas are malignant solid tumors composed of poorly differentiated myeloid cells that occur in association with myelocytic leukemia. The clinicopathologic characteristics of granulocytic sarcomas that presented in the oral mucosa and in the facial, scalp and neck skin of 8 patients in the acute phase of myelocytic leukemia are described and discussed. Although most of the tumors were demonstrably sensitive to cytosine arabinoside, alone or in combination with other antineoplastic drugs, the prognostic portent of these lesions was extremely poor.