Heavy-chain immunoglobulin gene rearrangement and cytoplasmic immunoglobulin expression in acute monocytic leukemia following primary germ cell tumor.

A case of acute monocytic leukemia with rearrangement of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain gene and strong cytoplasmic immunoglobulin expression in a young patient treated with multi-drug chemotherapy for primary seminomatous germ cell tumor 13 months earlier is reported. The short latency period from the beginning of therapy for primary germ cell tumor and the abrupt onset of leukemia with no identifiable prodrome bear similarities to podophyllotoxin-related leukemias.