Discussion:
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm
characterized by the dysregulated production of mature and maturing
granulocytes with normal differentiation, and it is associated with the
fusion of two genes: BCR (on chromosome 22) and ABL1 (on
chromosome 9) resulting in the BCR-ABL1 fusion gene. That gives
rise to an abnormal chromosome 22 called the Philadelphia (Ph)
chromosome. CML has three phases which included; chronic phase,
accelerated phase and blast phase [4].
It is well known in the literature some viral infections increases the
risk of some hematological malignancy Epstein-Barr virus the risk of
Burkitt lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and
human
T-lymphotrophic virus (HTLV-1) which increase the risk of adult T-cell
leukemia/lymphoma[5] but so far the exact mechanism of cancer
development after viral infection is not well understood. Up to our
knowledge there is no viral infection was proven to increases risk of
CML.
Since the discovery of COVID 19 it has been reported in the literate to
be associated with other diseases at time of presentation like
association with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction[6], and
the association with neurological diseases like meningitis and
encephalitis [7], also it was reported with Guillain-Barré
Syndrome[8].In Our case the presentation of COVID 19 was associated
with CML at the time of presentation and up to our knowledge this is the
first of such association; however this association could be only a
coincidence.