Oligoblastic leukaemia with (8;21) translocation and haemophagocytic syndrome and granulocytic cannibalism.

We report a 47-year-old man with oligoblastic leukaemia (8;21) translocation, phenomenon of cannibalism by granulocytic cells and haemophagocytic syndrome. The patient responded to intensive chemotherapy with disappearance of haemophagocytosis, granulocytic and histiocytic. We conclude that: (1) granulocytic cannibalism and haemophagocytic syndrome can be unusual myelodysplastic features; (2) the oligoblastic leukaemia with presence of cytogenetic abnormalities related to AML in young patients are probably more close to acute leukaemia than to myelodysplastic syndrome.