Intracerebellar granulocytic sarcoma complicating acute myelogenous leukemia: a case report and review of the literature

Granulocytic sarcoma is a solid mass composed of premature precursors of granulocytic series cells in an extramedullary region. Intraparenchymal central nervous system localization without skull or meningeal invasion is extremely rare. Although different theories have been proposed to explain the mechanism of this unusual disorder, its exact mechanism is still unclear. Some degree of improvement can be achieved after surgery and radiotherapy but its prognosis is poor and most patients die within months. Nine cases of purely intraparenchymal granulocytic sarcomas have been reported in the literature. Here, we report the tenth case and review the current literature. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.