Cytomorphologic and clinical features of AML with translocation (8;16) mimicking APL.

6626 Background: AML with t(8;16) represents a rare cytogenetic subtype of adult AML with distinctive morphologic and clinical features. It is associated with very poor prognosis and the molecular pathogenesis of AML is not understood. In several published reports, including the patients reported here, it was initially misdiagnosed and treated as acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Furthermore t(8;16) AML is reported to be more frequently found among therapy-related AMLs, which may make it more relevant to the patient population treated at tertiary cancer centers. Methods: Using a retrospective, multimodal diagnostic approach, we present a cohort of patients with t(8;16) AML, describing the clinical history, cytomorphology, immunophenotype and cytogenetics associated with this unique subclass of AML. Results: 14 patients Median age 51, 50% of patients have extramedullary manifestations, most commonly leukemia cutis, which seemed to precede systemic involvement. Cytomorphology from 7 patients showed blasts...