Acute promyelocytic leukemia. A review of literature.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia is a form of acute myeloblastic leukemia characterized by hemorrhagic episodes, severe thrombocytopenia and infiltration of the marrow with "hypergranular" promyelocytes, often with multiple Auer bodies. Ultrastructurally. the promyelocytes show many splinter granules and Auer bodies with characteristic hexagonal arrangement of tubules with a periodicity of 250 A. Serum vitamin B12 and B12-binding proteins, in particular, transcobalamin I, are abnormally high. Karyotypic abnormalities include pseudodiploidy and partial deletion of the long arm of chromosome 17. Coagulation profile during bleeding episodes is usually consistent with disseminated intravascular coagulation. Greatly improved prognosis in recent years as a result of aggressive chemotherapy and anticoagulation emphasizes the need of early recognition of this clinical entity.