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Erythroleukemia: a need for a new definition

Leukemia volume 16, pages 1399–1401 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

The new WHO classification abolishes the frontier between RAEB-t with 20% of blasts and leukemia with 30% of blasts. We review the definitions of erythroleukemia and discuss the relationship between FAB AML6, RAEB-t and AML6 variant. We ask whether secondary erythroleukemias are the same entity as RAEB-t on survival, karyotype and cytologic characteristics. We suggest that ‘AML6 variant’ with pure erythroid lineage proliferation would be the real de novo erythroleukemia. Current FAB AML6 entity will probably be classified in either subgroup (1) multilineage dysplasia; (2) therapy-related leukemia; or (3) acute erythroid leukemia subdivided into erythroleukemia (erythroid/myeloid) and pure erythroid leukemia, in the WHO classification – a classification which highlights the importance of clinical and cytogenetic prognostic factors.

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Acknowledgements

We thank G Flandrin for careful reading of the manuscript.

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  1. Hôpital Cochin, Paris, France

    S Park, F Picard & F Dreyfus

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Park, S., Picard, F. & Dreyfus, F. Erythroleukemia: a need for a new definition. Leukemia 16, 1399–1401 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2402549

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