[Homozygous beta-thalassaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (author's transl)]

Two girls with homozygous beta-thalassaemia developed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. In the first case the two disorders were diagnosed at the same time, when the infant was 11 months old. In the second girl the thalassaemia was diagnosed at the age of 5 months. The patient received monthly packed red cell transfusion. At the age of 3 years she developed the leukaemia. Both the patients achieved a complete remission and are alive after 73 and 5 months from the diagnosis of the leukaemia. The authors discuss the possible relationship between the two haematological diseases.