[Cyclosporin A in the treatment of acquired erythroblastopenia in the course of B-cell chronic lymphatic leukemia].

Acquired erythroblastopenia, or pure red cell aplasia, may appear as a complication of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. This was the case in a 58 year-old man, diagnosed as having B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia considered as stage C (III). He was treated initially with chlorambucil; two months after diagnosis the patient showed erythroblastopenia, being treated with chlorambucil-prednisone, cyclophosphamide-prednisone, prednisone alone, and intravenous immunoglobulins. No satisfactory response was achieved with any of these drugs. During a period of 28 weeks the patient received 41 units of packed red cells. Cyclosporin-A, at a 9 mg/Kg daily doses, was tested, a dramatic response being observed: after four weeks of such therapy the patient's haemoglobin reached 14.5 g/dL, and he needed no further transfusion since the beginning of this treatment.