Acute myelogenous leukemia in pregnancy: fetal blood sampling and early effects of chemotherapy.

This report documents the acute toxicity of anti-leukemic chemotherapy on the fetus in utero by umbilical blood sampling. A patient with acute myelocytic leukemia diagnosed at the 23rd week of gestation received combination chemotherapy, and carried the pregnancy to successful delivery at the 34th week. During the course of pregnancy, the fetal condition was evaluated by serial real time sonograms and umbilical blood sampling through cordocentesis. Fetal hematopoiesis was preserved against maternal chemotherapeutic agents, and no developmental abnormalities were observed. This is the first attempt to evaluate the acute effects of chemotherapeutic agents on the fetus in utero by real time umbilical cord sampling.