Chronic granulocytic leukemia occurring in blast crisis

Abstract

Cytogenetic studies of marrow using chromosomal banding techniques revealed the presence of the Philadelphia (PH1) chromosome in two patients with clinical and hematologic findings of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). A review of the literature since the use of chromosomal banding techniques revealed about 15 patients with Ph1)-positive acute leukemia that we consider to be chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL) occurring in blast crisis. We describe two additional patients, one of whom we believe is unique in that the initial blast crisis contained Auer's rod-positive cells.