[Importance of the detection of minimal residual disease in the management of acute leukemia].

Between 1984-1988, 57 adult acute leukemic patients were treated with intensive combined chemotherapy in the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion. For the evaluation of response to therapy, 4 investigations were performed in parallel: bone marrow aspirate, bone marrow biopsy, cytogenetic analysis and bone marrow culture. Nonparametric test for samples taken for the evaluation of remission status showed that bone marrow biopsy was significantly the most sensitive method for the detection of residual disease.