Serous effusions in monocytic leukaemias

We report four patients who either presented with or developed serous effusions during the course of monocytic leukaemia. This finding has not been documented previously. All the patients had very high peripheral blood monocyte counts when effusions developed. The effusions resolved after the patients were treated with anti-leukaemic therapy. It is therefore likely that the effusions were disease related. Two of the patients have been treated with razoxane, one with etoposide and the other with cytarabine.