Chronic Myeloid Leukemia with Extramedullary Blast Crisis: Two Unusual Sites with Review of Literature

Extramedullary blast crisis (EBC) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a rare phenomenon and represents infiltration of leukemic blasts in areas other than bone marrow. Lymph node is the most common site of involvement by EBC. We herein present a case of CML who suffered from two discrete episodes of EBC at atypical locations (scalp and paravertebral) within an interval duration of nine months. A-38-year-old female was diagnosed as a case of CML with extramedullary blast crisis in scalp at presentation. She received treatment with imatinib 600 mg once daily through Novartis Oncology Access Program (NOA). She achieved hematological remission. However nine months later she was readmitted with spinal shock due to cord compression secondary to paraspinal chloroma. She was started on tablet Nilotinib in view of failure to 1st line therapy. Her compressive myelopathy was treated with pulses of high dose dexamethasone. However soon she died due to pneumonia.