Cerebral localization of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and improvement with high-dose cytarabine: A case report

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by the infiltration of blood and bone marrow by immature monocytes, in which extra-hematopoietic localization is uncommon. We report the case of a 69-year-old-man with highly likely ectopic brain CMML involvement by MRI. Without the possibility of cerebral biopsy and with a negative infectious disease assessment, high-dose cytarabine-based chemotherapy was successfully administered. The favorable evolution in this case highlights the potential benefit of such treatment, even without a cerebral biopsy to confirm the disease. This case can aid clinical decision-making in the future.