AML Atlas, Facts & Trends: M3

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (M3)
(variant or microgranular type)

In AML, the determination of chromosome changes can establish a diagnosis, supply information regarding clinical and prognostic factors, and serve as a means of following a patient through therapy and then during bone-marrow transplantation.^[7]

Numerous abnormal promyelocytes with many granules.

(left) FISH analysis utilizing cosmid probe. (right) Translocation t(15;17)(q22;q12) involving PML and RARA genes, respectively. Arrows show location of breakpoints in chromosomes 15 and 17.