Hydrops Fetalis and Neonatal Leukemia in Down Syndrome

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Abstract
Four newborn infants with Down syndrome and manifestations of neonatal leukemia are described. One of the four was stillborn, two died shortly after birth, and a fourth survived and all evidence of leukemia disappeared in the first month of life. Three of the four cases had hydrops fetalis, and a fourth was a macerated stillborn. Nine other similar reported cases are reviewed. We conclude that neonatal leukemia in Down syndrome is a form of leukemia that is usually transient, with spontaneous recovery, but may be fatal at or around the lime of birth with manifestations of hydrops fetalis, hepatosplenomegaly, and/or progressive liver disease.