Blood, 1952, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 37-46.
© 1952 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Multiple Spontaneous Remissions in a Child with
Acute Leukemia
The Occurrence of Agranulocytosis and Aplastic Anemia in Acute
Leukemia and Their Relationship to Remissions
FRANK A. BASSEN M.D.1 and
JEROME L. KOHN M.D.1
1 Pediatric Service and the Hematology Laboratory of The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, N. Y.
1. A case of acute leukemia with four observed spontaneous remissions is
presented.
2. Spontaneous remissions in acute leukemia are infrequent and multiple
remissions rare.
3. Spontaneous remissions in acute leukemia follow a pattern in that they
occur after the development of a leukopenic agranulocytic phase and hypoplasia
or aplasia of the marrow.
4. Remissions in acute leukemia when therapeutically induced probably follow
a similar pattern.
5. The significance of agranulocytosis in acute leukemia has been discussed.
When it occurs, before the diagnosis of leukemia is definitely made, and recovery
ensues, one should be alerted for the possible later development of a characteristic
picture of leukemia.
6. The possibility that idiopathic aplastic anemia is no more than a phase of
acute leukemia has been discussed.
Submitted on June 8, 1951
Accepted on August 28, 1951
