[Hydrops fetalis caused by congenital leukemia].

A term female infant of hydropic aspect was born from an A II Rh positive mother who had not submitted herself to prenatal medical controls. From delivery the newborn showed evidence of hydrops, tendency to bleed from needle puncture sites and poor respiratory effort, there fore it was necessary to support her with mechanical ventilation, but she died three hours after birth. Autopsy findings included proliferation of immature white blood cells of myeloid type with reduction of red blood cell precursors and megakaryocytes at the bone marrow. The same immature cell forms also infiltrated liver, spleen, lungs and adrenal glands. Leukemia is seldom seen in the neonatal period an it has been described in only rare occasions associated to non-immunological fetal hydrops.