1731 Leukemic Infiltration Leading to Esophagitis: A Rare Initial Presentation of AML

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INTRODUCTION: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a group of blood cancers that arise from clonal proliferation of malignant hematopoietic precursor cells in bone marrow. We report a case of AML that presented as esophagitis secondary to leukemic infiltration of the esophagus. CASE DESCRIPTION/METHODS: A 60 year male who presented with 1 month history of worsening retrosternal pain, worsened with eating & drinking, leading to a 9 kg weight loss. Patient was taking increasing doses of NSAIDS to treat this pain unsuccessfully. Patient’s past medical history included hypertension, hyperlipidemia & Bell's palsy. Patient’s EKG & 3 troponins were normal. He had no melena, hematochezia but stool guaiac tested positive. Initial CBC showed a WBC 20.5 k/mm3, Hgb 7.7 g/dL, & Platelets 28 k/mm3 with peripheral smear revealing 86% blasts with rare Auer rods. Patient was diagnosed with AML with NSAID associated gastritis & was started on IV Proton pump inhibitor therapy. Patient underwent a bone marrow biopsy that showed 95% blasts and 5% erythroid. On flow cytometry 95% were myeloblasts. Fluorescence in-situ hybridizationtesting showed MLL mutation with 11q23 rearrangement. While awaiting induction 7 + 3 chemotherapy, patient underwent EGD due to continued odynophagia. It showed multiple discreet large non-bleeding ulcers in the proximal & middle third of the esophagus. CMV esophagitis was suspected & the patient received empiric ganciclovir for 3 days. The final biopsy showed no CMV and colonisation without invasion by Actinomycetes, but it also showed atypical mononucleated cells consistent with leukemic infiltrates in the ulcer bed. Patient received induction chemo 7 + 3 but had partial response based on day 14 bone marrow & was successfully reinducted. He is currently awaiting a bone marrow transplant on consolidation chemotherapy. He is symptom free of esophagitis. DISCUSSION: In AML, large numbers of immature myeloid cells are seen in the bone marrow & in peripheral blood resulting in a crowding out effect of other cell lines. Presentation is usually symptoms of anemia, bleeding from thrombocytopenia or immune deficiency. In previous autopsy series, gastrointestinal involvement of leukemia have been noted, with involvement of the esophagus being less common. There have been reports of leukemic infiltration of the esophagus developing during treatment for AML, but our case is a rare initial presentation with esophagitis from leukemic infiltration which led to the diagnosis and treatment of AML.