Since the initial description of the disease, the life-threatening coagulopathy associated with
acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) has been the defining clinical characteristic.
Historically, this uncommon subtype of acute myeloid leukaemia has been associated with a
high mortality rate during induction therapy, most frequently attributable to haemorrhage.
Since the introduction of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) into the therapy of all patients with
APL, disease-free survival and overall survival have improved dramatically, such that the …