A case of leukemic reticuloendotheliosis responding to oxymetholone

Cancer. 1982 Aug 1;50(3):396-400.

A case of leukemic reticuloendotheliosis responding to oxymetholone.

Feffer SE, Westring DW, Lee AC, Lin JH.

A 63-year-old man presented with fever, easy bruisability, splenomegaly and
pancytopenia. Bone marrow aspiration was unsuccessful, and marrow biopsy revealed
crowding by sheets of mononuclear cells; a diagnosis of leukemic
reticuloendotheliosis (LRE) was made and the patient underwent splenectomy. There
was no hematologic improvement, and the patient continued to have a significant
requirement for erythrocytes and platelet transfusions. Within two months of
beginning oxymetholone therapy (50 mg orally three times a day) the patient's
platelet count had normalized, followed by improved erythrocyte and leukocyte
counts. When the drug was discontinued, the peripheral blood counts deteriorated
drastically; he again demonstrated hematologic improvement when oxymetholone
therapy was reinstated. We feel that by demonstrating a hematologic response to
oxymetholone, relapse when it was withdrawn, and another remission upon
readministration, that we have provided stronger evidence than previously
reported for the efficacy of this drug in LRE.