ACUTE LEUKEMIAS IN ADULT ETHIOPIANS IN A TEACHING HOSPITAL

Eighty-two consecutive cases of acute leukaemias in adult Ethiopians w ere admitted to the Tikur Anbessa (Black Lion) Hospital, a teaching an d referral hospital in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, from January 1982 to Dec ember 1992. These cases were studied to describe the clinical and haem atological findings, response to therapy and prognosis. The age range was 13-78 (mean 29.6) years. The male to female ratio was 1.6:1. Acute myeloblastic (AML) and acute lymphoblastic (ALL) leukaemias occurred in 53.7 % and 46.3 %, respectively. The commonest symptoms were anaemi a, fever and bleeding tendencies. The commonest signs were pallor, fev er, sternal tenderness and purpura. Splenomegaly was more commonly see n in ALL patients. The haematological findings were anaemia (mean Hgb 6.35 g%), leucocytosis (mean WBC count 88,507/mm3) and thrombocytopeni a (mean platelet count 31,700/mm3). Of the patients eligible for evalu ation treated with chemotherapeutic agents, only 38.4 % of ALL and 6.2 % of AML achieved complete remission. Twenty-seven patients with ALL died from one day to 84 (median 1.0) months after diagnosis. Ten are l ost to follow-up from two weeks to 36 (median 2.5) months, one is stil l alive 40 months after diagnosis. Thirty-nine of the AML patients die d from one day to nine (median 0.3) months after diagnosis. Five are l ost to follow-up from two weeks to two and a half (median 2.0) months. The causes of death were sepsis and bleeding, separately or in combin ation. Increasing numbers of acute leukaemia patients are being referr ed to this centre. Therefore, attempts should be made to equip it for the treatment of such cases.