Spontaneous Remission of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Following Candida tropicalis Fungemia

Cureus. 2024 Jun 15;16(6):e62435. doi: 10.7759/cureus.62435. eCollection 2024 Jun.

Abstract

Spontaneous remission (SR) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a poorly understood phenomenon that has been sporadically reported in medical literature for over a century, and the molecular and immunologic mechanisms of remission pose interesting clinical questions. Furthermore, the often-transient nature of these remissions poses a challenge to physicians in formulating an approach to treatment. We report on a rare case of Candida tropicalis sepsis in a three-year-old female with high-risk ALL who received less than two months of treatment prior to sepsis and subsequent SR.

Keywords: acute leukemia; acute lymphoblastic leukemia (all); candida tropicalis; candidemia; fungemia; pediatric cancer; spontaneous remission.

Publication types

  • Case Reports