Clinical severe hepatic venoocclusive disease during induction treatment of acute monoblastic leukemia managed with defibrotide.

Hepatic venoocclusive disease (VOD) is the most common complication of cytoreductive therapy used for stem cell transplantation, but it is rarely encountered during induction treatment of acute leukemia. We describe a patient in whom severe clinical VOD developed shortly after induction treatment for acute monoblastic leukemia. Administration of intravenous defibrotide for 19 days induced complete resolution of the VOD. Further consolidation treatment was resumed including high-dose cytosine arabinoside without further complications. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.