Successful Chemotherapy of an Acute Myeloid Leukemia Case Infected with SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Introduction: New coronavirus or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. There is not enough data for managing acute myeloid leukemia patients with concomitant infection with SARS-COV-2. This is a report of a unique case with acute leukemia and SARS-CoV-2 infection that recovered from both. Case Presentation: a 44-year man was admitted with fever and sweating. He was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. Pancytopenia was detected and a bone marrow biopsy revealed acute leukemia. During his management, the patient developed a dry cough. He was transferred to our center for chemotherapy. Chest CT scan revealed bilateral peripheral patchy ground-glass infiltrations, indicating SARS-CoV-2 infection. Two weeks later, after antiviral and broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, he developed severe dyspnea and became bedridden. Modified chemotherapy was started. He rapidly recovered, and his leukemia developed complete remission. Conclusions: We presented a successful chemotherapy of an acute leukemia patient that was simultaneously infected with COVID-19. Chemotherapy should be done for acute leukemia judiciously without delay in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 infection.