Successful treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia accompanied by serious subdural hematoma

Abstract

We present a 56-year-old woman with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) complicated with serious chronic subdural hematoma at presentation. She was treated with urgent hematoma evacuation and subsequent prompt chemotherapy, with administration of platelets and fresh frozen plasma. After six weeks, she achieved hematological complete remission. Thereafter she received three courses of conventional consolidation chemotherapy and achieved molecular remission. Even under conditions of severe coagulatory disturbance, aggressive therapeutic intervention including surgical procedures can save the life of a patient suffering from simultaneous APL and fatal subdural hematoma at presentation. © 2012 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.