Granulocytic sarcoma of orbit preceding acute myeloid leukaemia: a case report

Orbital manifestations of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma

A 2-year-old boy presented with left periorbital edema, proptosis, hyperglobus and esotropia. Imaging revealed an inferotemporal orbital mass with adjacent bony erosion. Histological evaluation of an orbital biopsy revealed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (B-ALL/BLL). The patient was subsequently treated with chemotherapy. Although orbital involvement in acute myelogenous leukemia has been well-described, orbital manifestations of B-ALL/BLL are uncommon, with only a limited number of previous reports in the literature.

Early Ophthalmological Manifestations of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Current Perspectives

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy affecting different organ systems including the eye. The purpose of this review is to present and evaluate the medical literature regarding the early ophthalmological manifestations of acute myeloid leukemia. AML affects the ocular system through direct infiltration of tissues, secondary to hematological abnormalities, or in the form of chloroma or myeloid sarcoma in the brain or orbit consequently leading to a variety of manifestations depending on the ocular tissue involved. It is imperative for ophthalmologists to be aware of the early ophthalmological manifestations of AML which will allow for earlier diagnosis and treatment of this life-threatening disease.

[Primary granulocytic sarcoma of lacrimal gland]

The article presents clinical description and instrumental findings (ultrasound examination and multi-slice computed tomography of the orbits) of a rare lacrimal gland tumor, which precedes or concurs with acute myeloblastic leukemia. Due to the low incidence of myeloid (granulocytic) sarcoma, it is not possible to develop a proper algorithm for its diagnosis and treatment. Few descriptions that are available in the literature neither give an idea of the variety of manifestations and the order of organ involvement, nor allow any vital prognosis. Verification of the diagnosis can only be based on immunohistochemical findings of the primary tumor and bone marrow biopsy material. The authors emphasize the importance of combination treatment (radiation therapy of the orbits and chemotherapy) in the prevention of leukemia.

Induction of histiocytic sarcoma in mouse skeletal muscle

Myeloid sarcomas are extramedullary accumulations of immature myeloid cells that may present with or without evidence of pathologic involvement of the bone marrow or peripheral blood, and often coincide with or precede a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A dearth of experimental models has hampered the study of myeloid sarcomas and led us to establish a new system in which tumor induction can be evaluated in an easily accessible non-hematopoietic tissue compartment. Using ex-vivo transduction of oncogenic Kras(G12V) into p16/p19^−/− bone marrow cells, we generated transplantable leukemia-initiating cells that rapidly induced tumor formation in the skeletal muscle of immunocompromised NOD.SCID mice. In this model, murine histiocytic sarcomas, equivalent to human myeloid sarcomas, emerged at the injection site 30–50 days after cell implantation and consisted of tightly packed monotypic cells that were CD48+, CD47+ and Mac1+, with low or absent expression of other hematopoietic lineage markers. Tumor cells also infiltrated the bone marrow, spleen and other non-hematopoietic organs of tumor-bearing animals, leading to systemic illness (leukemia) within two weeks of tumor detection. P16/p19^−/−; Kras(G12V) myeloid sarcomas were multi-clonal, with dominant clones selected during secondary transplantation. The systemic leukemic phenotypes exhibited by histiocytic sarcoma-bearing mice were nearly identical to those of animals in which leukemia was introduced by intravenous transplantation of the same donor cells. Moreover, murine histiocytic sarcoma could be similarly induced by intramuscular injection of MLL-AF9 leukemia cells. This study establishes a novel, transplantable model of murine histiocytic/myeloid sarcoma that recapitulates the natural progression of these malignancies to systemic disease and indicates a cell autonomous leukemogenic mechanism.

Orbital paraganglioma presenting as lateral rectus enlargement and its novel management: a case report and review of literature

Paragangliomas of the orbit are extremely rare. We report on a case of paraganglioma manifesting as enlargement of the lateral rectus muscle. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the orbit showed typical salt and pepper appearance of the mass and pathologic examination was consistent with paraganglioma. The patient underwent surgery with total removal of lateral rectus muscle. Alignment was preserved by a half tendon transposition of the vertical rectus muscles to the insertion of the resected lateral rectus muscle. Isolated lateral rectus enlargement has not been previously reported as a manifestation of paraganglioma.

Acute myeloid leukemia presenting as bilateral proptosis from diffuse extraocular muscle infiltration

PURPOSE

To report a case of acute myeloid leukemia with bilateral proptosis as the sole presenting sign.

DESIGN

Observational case report.

METHODS

A patient with bilateral proptosis was seen in consultation by pediatric ophthalmology.

RESULTS

Complete blood count, computerized tomography, and bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, with the proptosis due to diffuse infiltration of all extraocular muscles.

CONCLUSION

In a child with the sudden onset of proptosis without any other systemic findings, the diagnosis of acute leukemia must be considered.