Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in infants: 20 years of experience

Objective: to analyze patients younger than 2 years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia,treated in the period between 1990 and 2010 in a state reference center. methods: this was a clinical-epidemiological,cross-sectional,observational,and descriptive study. it included patients younger than 2 years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia,treated in the period of 1990 to 2010 in a pediatric oncology unit of a state reference center,totaling 41 cases. results: all patients were white ethnicity,and 60.9% were females. regarding age,24.38% were younger than 6 months,17.07% were between 6 months and 1 year,and 58.53% were older than 1 year. the age of 6 months was statistically significant for the outcome of death. predominant signs and symptoms were fever,bruising,and petechiae. a leukocyte count > 100,000 was found in 34.14% of cases,hemoglobin count < 11 in 95.13%,and platelet count < 100,000 in 75.61. infiltration of central nervous system was present in 12.91% of patients. according to the lineage,b-cell lineage predominated (73%),but the t-cell line was statistically significant for death. 39% of patients had disease recurrence. in relation to vital status,70.73% of the patients died; septic shock was the main cause. conclusions: acute lymphoblastic leukemia in infants has a high mortality rate,especially in children under 1 year and those with t-cell derived lineage. copyright © 2013 sociedade brasileira de pediatria. published by elsevier editora ltda. all rights reserved.