Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage Leading to Respiratory Failure in Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia: A Fatal Pulmonary Complication
Mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) is a rare and diagnostically challenging hematologic malignancy characterized by the co-expression of myeloid and lymphoid lineage markers. We present the case of a 61-year-old woman with newly diagnosed MPAL who developed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) shortly after induction chemotherapy. Despite aggressive supportive care, including bronchoscopy-guided diagnosis, high-dose corticosteroids, antifibrinolytics, and lung-protective ventilation with prone positioning, her condition rapidly deteriorated into multi-organ failure and death. This case highlights the need for early recognition of pulmonary complications in high-risk leukemias and underscores the limitations of current management strategies in the setting of DAH complicating MPAL.
Authors
- R. Fernández-González (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9676-1810)
- Zydnia Piñeiro
- Maria C Perez-Mitchell
- BELISSA LOPEZ-PENA
- Mariela Ginés-Rosario
Institutions
- San Juan City Hospital (PR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2025-08-10
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.89713
- Primary Topic
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00