Summary

• Blast phase of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), which can be discovered incidentally on FBC or in assessment of patients with symptoms and signs such as fever, fatigue, weight loss, anaemia, thrombocytopenia, or splenomegaly.
• Diagnosis of CML requires presence of a Philadelphia chromosome gene mutation. Diagnosis of the blast phase of CML is based on percentage of blasts in peripheral smear or bone marrow.
• Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are paramount in treatment. Allogeneic bone marrow transplant must follow due to rapid relapse.