S De Botton, H Dombret, M Sanz, J S Miguel, D Caillot, R Zittoun, M Gardembas, A Stamatoulas, E Condé, A Guerci, C Gardin, K Geiser, D C Makhoul, O Reman, J de la Serna, F Lefrere, C Chomienne, C Chastang, L Degos, P Fenaux
All trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) syndrome is a life-threatening complication of uncertain pathogenesis that can occur during the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) by ATRA. Since its initial description, however, no large series of ATRA syndrome has been reported in detail. We analyzed cases of ATRA syndrome observed in an ongoing European trial of treatment of newly diagnosed APL. In this trial, patients 65 years of age or less with an initial white blood cell count (WBC) less than 5,000/microL were initially randomized between ATRA followed by chemotherapy (CT) (ATRA-->CT group) or ATRA with CT started on day 3; patients with WBC greater than 5,000/microL received ATRA and CT from day 1; patients aged 66 to 75 received ATRA-->CT...
October 15, 1998: Blood