Metachronous occurrence of gastrointestinal stromal tumor and acute promyelocytic leukemia in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis: A case report

Abstract

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most common mesenchymal tumor of the alimentary canal. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a unique subtype of acute myeloid leukemia. A 57-year-old male patient with a previous record with history of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and ankylosing spondylitis, was hospitalized with right ankle and foot swelling and pancytopenia. A diagnosis of APL was made by bone marrow aspiration and cytogenetic study. After a combined treatment with all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide, the patient achieved cytogenetic and molecular remission. According to past studies, the synchronous or metachronous coexistence of GISTs with other malignancies, such as lymphoma, liver cancer and pancreatic tumors has been widely reported. This study describes a patient with the metachronous occurrence of a CD34 positive GIST and APL. We suggest, the minor alterations in hematological parameters must be taken into consideration for such cases.