Hemorrhagic infarction of the basal ganglia. An unusual complication of acute leukemia.

Hemorrhagic infarction of the basal ganglia was observed in 2 young adult patients with acute leukemia who presented with progressive hemiparesis combined with severe mental alterations. In case 1 (AML) lethal infarction due to thrombosis of both internal cerebral veins occurred during induction therapy for relapsed leukemia; in case 2 (cALL) a devastating stroke probably due to deep cerebral venous thrombosis happened during the third remission. Neither of them had hyperleukocytosis, signs of infection, disseminated intravascular coagulation or CNS leukemia. We discuss long-term glucocorticoid therapy (case 1) and combined prophylactic CNS treatment (case 2) as possible risk factors for cerebrovascular thrombosis in acute leukemia.