Central nervous system (CNS) involvement of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) causes poor prognosis. Our three cases show that CNS can be involved at the first hematological recurrence, but predicting this is difficult. Triple intrathecal treatment and craniospinal irradiation were effective, while arsenic oxide failed to prevent and improve CNS involvement.
Keywords: Acute promyelocytic leukemia; arsenic trioxide; central nervous system involvement; triple intrathecal treatment.