Acute Myeloid Leukemia Presenting as a Posterior Fossa Tumor

Magimairajan Issai Vanan1, Jie Li2, Martin Bunge3

  • 1Departments of Pediatrics and Child Health.

Insights

Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia can present as myeloid sarcoma (MS) in the central nervous system. We describe a rare case of acute myeloid leukemia with CNS-MS mimicking a brain tumor.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Hematology
  • Neuropathology

Background:

  • Extramedullary leukemia in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can manifest as myeloid sarcoma (MS) or leukemic blasts in cerebrospinal fluid.
  • Myeloid sarcoma, also known as granulocytic sarcoma or chloroma, represents a localized extramedullary tumorous infiltration of myeloid blasts.

Observation:

  • Isolated central nervous system (CNS) myeloid sarcoma is an uncommon presentation of pediatric AML.
  • We present a rare case of a pediatric patient with AML and CNS-MS.

Findings:

  • The patient's CNS-MS presented as a posterior fossa mass.
  • This presentation mimicked a primary intracranial tumor, highlighting a diagnostic challenge.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of considering MS in the differential diagnosis of pediatric posterior fossa masses.
  • Early recognition and diagnosis of CNS-MS are crucial for appropriate management and treatment of pediatric AML.
  • Further research into the specific mechanisms and optimal treatment strategies for CNS-MS in pediatric AML is warranted.

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