Description

A previously healthy 46-year-old woman presented to the outpatient clinic with chronic general weakness for a month. Physical examination showed splenomegaly and complete blood count showed white cell count 346 000/μL, haemoglobin 11.2 g/dL, platelets 336 000/μL with a differential of neutrophils 21%, bands 32%, lymphocytes 8%, monocytes 5%, promyelocytes 22%, myelocytes 11% and blasts 9%. Subsequent bone marrow biopsy showed cellularity of 100% with marked myeloid hyperplasia and blasts of 21%. Cytogenetics demonstrated BCR-ABL1 translocation confirming the diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML).1 Imatinib was started as an initial treatment, however the patient developed …