PSEUDORELAPSE IN ACUTE MYELOMONOCYTIC LEUKEMIA AFTER HIGH-DOSE METHYLPREDNISOLONE

High dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) has been used both in induction tr eatment and in leukopenia of acute leukemia. We report the case of a 1 4-year-old girl with acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML) who develope d a pseudorelapse after receiving an oral HDMP trial (30 mg/kg/day PO in the morning for 15 days) to overcome neutropenia. She presented wit h severe bone pain at the end of treatment. Bone marrow examination re vealed 53% young promyelocytes (some with a large nucleolus), 2% myelo blast, 5% monocyte, and increased cellularity. Bone pain and promyeloc ytes regressed spontaneously while maintenance treatment continues. We advise that a pseudorelapse must be borne in mind after MDMP and prob ably GM-CSF treatments in acute leukaemias.