Transient pancytopenia after non-A non-B non-C acute hepatitis preceding acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Transient pancytopenia preceding childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is an unfrequent but well-known event. The association of this preleukemic syndrome with hepatitis is extremely rape, with only two such cases having been published in the literature. We report the case of a 16-year-old boy who was diagnosed with B-cell type ALL that was preceded by transient pancytopenia with absent hemopoietic cells in the hone marrow following a seronegative hepatitis episode. The clinical, morphologic and immunophenotypic features of this patient are described and the literature on this preleukemic syndrome reviewed, with special emphasis being made an its differential diagnosis with hepatitis-associated aplastic anemia. (C)1998 Ferrata Storti Foundation.