Acute leukemia in pregnancy: Case series from a tertiary care institute

Abstract

Background: Acute leukemia in pregnancy is estimated to occur in less than one in one lakh pregnancies. Management of these patients differs by the trimester in which they present, because of the differential sensitivity of the fetus to chemotherapy during the three trimesters. Because of the rarity of this situation, there is scarcity of data on the management of these patients. Materials and method: We included patients with acute leukemia diagnosed and treated during pregnancy at our institute and reviewed 3 successive patients for this case series. Results and conclusion: Acute leukemia in pregnancy presents a unique challenge for treatment and requires multidisciplinary co-ordination for treatment. When judiciously managed, good outcomes of disease of mother and fetus can be achieved. Our three patients included one in each trimester; the first trimester patient underwent medical termination of pregnancy and has successfully completed treatment. The second trimester patient underwent induction chemotherapy and delivered a healthy baby. The patient diagnosed in the third trimester delivered a pre-term healthy baby during treatment and continues to be on chemotherapy.