Wiadomości lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland : 1960)
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We present a case of 3-week-old infant, in whom we established the diagnosis of congenital acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), characterized by the immunophenotype of the most immature B-cell precursors (pro-B-ALL) and chromosomal translocation t(4;11) associated with the rearrangement of MLL and AF4 genes. The clinical course of this leukemia deserves particular attention, because it was different from classical presentation: diagnosis--not immediately after birth--but at the age of 3 weeks, no signs of hemorrhagic diathesis, lack of nodular skin infiltrates, and no central nervous system involvement. ⋯ After subsequent chemotherapy course the child died owing to fatal infectious complications. Despite enormous progress in treatment of childhood ALL, this type of leukemia in infants below 6 months of age, and particularly in cases of congenital leukemia is still associated with a very poor prognosis.