A 27-year-old Chinese woman with acute promyelocytic leukaemia in first relapse after the initial conventional induction chemotherapy 18 months earlier was treated with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) at an initial dose of 45 mg/m2 and subsequently increased to 65 mg/m2 on day 15. Complete remission was achieved after a total of 40 days of ATRA alone. Serial marrow examinations during induction showed progressive maturation of myelopoiesis without bone marrow hypoplasia. There was a significant reduction in number of cells with the t(15;17) translocation when complete remission was achieved. ATRA was very well-tolerated. The symptoms of dry skin and intermittent headache were self-limiting.