Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia with a BCR-ABL1 Rearrangement in a Minor Clone

Abstract

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a type of acute myeloid leukemia characterized by predominating abnormal promyelocytes with a PML-RARA rearrangement or a variant thereof. BCR-ABL1 rearrangement is an oncogenic event that is usually associated with chronic myeloid leukemia but also occurs in both acute lymphoblastic and acute myeloid leukemias and in healthy individuals. However, APL with concurrent PML-RARA and BCR-ABL1 rearrangements has rarely been reported. Herein, we describe a patient with APL exhibiting a BCR-ABL1 rearrangement in a minor clone and discuss the importance of evaluating this genetic alteration in terms of pathogenesis and treatment.

Keywords: BCR-ABL1; PML-RARA; acute promyelocytic leukemia; concurrent; minor clone; treatment.