Spontaneous Soft Tissue Haematomas- A Rare Presentation of Chronic Myeloid Leukemic (CML)

Abstract

Spontaneous soft tissue haematomas are rarely found in haematological malignancies. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder which rarely present with thrombo-haemorrhagic phenomenon. It is a malignant clonal disorder of pleuripotent stem cells that results in increase in myeloid, erythroid and platelets cells in peripheral blood and marked myeloid hyperplasia in bone marrow. It is characterized by the presence of Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) with BCR - ABL 1 fusion gene. This gene is responsible for the formation of 210 KDa chimeric proteins with enhanced tyrosine kinase activity which leads to the abnormal bone marrow cell proliferation and to the clinical and morphologic manifestations of leukemia. Cutaneous and mucous membrane bleeding is common in CML whereas bleeding in deep soft tissue is rarely found because of qualitative and quantitative platelet abnormalities. Here, we report a case of CML (BCR-ABL rearrangement positive) who presented with large haematoma in the anterior as well as posterior compartment of left thigh and treated successfully with hydroxyurea and imatinib.