Leukemic ascites complicating acute myelomonoblastic leukemia

We describe a patient with acute myelomonoblastic leukemia, jaundice, and ascites. The ascitic fluid contained leukemic cells comparable with those of the blood and bone marrow. Treatment with cytarabine (cytosine arabinoside) caused a decrease in the peripheral blood blast cell count and the serum bilirubin level, but the leukemic ascites did not change. Ascites in patients with acute leukemia must be examined to differentiate leukemic infiltration from other causes such as infection.