Detection of RUNX1-MECOM Fusion Gene and t(3;21) in a Very Elderly Patient Having Acute Myeloid Leukemia with Myelodysplasia-Related Changes

An 87-yr-old woman was diagnosed with AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC). The initial complete blood count showed Hb level of 5.9 g/dL, platelet counts of 27×10(9)/L, and white blood cell counts of 85.33×10(9)/L with 55% blasts. Peripheral blood samples were used in all the tests, as bone marrow examination could not be performed because of the patient's extremely advanced age and poor general health condition. Flow cytometric analysis, chromosome analysis, FISH, and reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) results indicated AML-MRC resulting from t(3;21) with the RUNX1-MECOM fusion gene. To our knowledge, this is the second most elderly de novo AML patient associated with t(3;21) to be reported.