Specific pulmonary involvement in acute myeloid leukemia: from diagnosis to treatment

Abstract

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can develop acute respiratory failure (ARF) during the first days of the disease, leading to admission to the intensive care unit in half of the cases. Even though infections are the most frequent causes of ARF, some of the patients may develop a specific leukemic pulmonary involvement. Different kinds of respiratory involvement can be distinguished: leukostasis, pulmonary leukemic infiltration, and acute lysis pulmonary disease. In this review, we describe these three different entities based on the literature and our experience. However, consensus remains limited and further studies are warranted to establish diagnostic criteria. Finally, we present specific management guidelines, based on collaboration between hematologists and intensivists.