Imatinib Related Severe Anaemia In a Case of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in Complete Molecular Response

Chronic myeloid leukaemia is a clonal haematopoietic disorder caused by reciprocal translocation of chromosomes 9 and 22 . Imatinib , a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, targeting BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase is the first line treatment of CML. Myelosuppression is a common adverse effect of imatinib usually seen in the initial 2-4 weeks of treatment. However, severe anemia in a patient in cytogenetic and molecular response is rare . Here we present a case who developed persistent and severe anemia with imatinib after 5 years of treatment and after attaining complete molecular responseEvaluation of anaemia failed to reveal any other cause and withdrawal of imatinib led to improvement in anemia, hence implicating the drug in the causation of anaemia. The case highlights the need for constant monitoring of adverse effects even in commonly prescribed drugs after several years of treatment .