Successful outcome of postsplenectomy chemotherapy in an acute myeloid leukemia patient with massive bilharzial splenomegaly

Abstract

Bilharzial hepatic fibrosis is usually accompanied by marked enlargement of the spleen. Schistosoma hematobium and Schistosoma mansoni infestation is endemic in Africa and southern part of Saudi Arabia. Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) present with clinical features resulting from bone marrow failure, symptoms resulting from organ infiltration with leukemic cells (including splenomegaly), or both. Co-occurrence of bilharzial splenomegaly and AML is intuitively possible. Spontaneous splenic rupture has been reported to be catastrophic in both conditions and rarely splenic rupture may be the first manifestation of AML. Splenectomy is a considerable option in symptomatic splenomegaly in schistosomiasis. An enlarged spleen may also serve as a sanctuary site for residual leukemic cells after chemotherapy. Splenectomy has been reported in pediatric AML after chemotherapy and selected adult patients with myelodysplastic syndrome and myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of successful outcome of splenectomy prior to induction chemotherapy in an AML patient who presented with huge symptomatic splenomegaly due to past history of schistosomiasis, had also shown refractoriness to platelet transfusion due to hypersplenism and vaginal bleeding. Splenectomy in such a scenario was a difficult decision but was feasible with adequate expertise, vigilance and blood products availability. The patient is alive in complete remission with good performance status more than 2½ years after therapy.