Risk factors
The environmental factors that can increase the incidence of Leukemia cutis include:
- Benzene exposure: Benzene is carcinogenic to human cells and it can cause leukemia.
- Ionizing radiation: The bone marrow from where the blood cells are produced is sensitive to radiations. They can suppress the maturation process and can cause leukemia.
- Viral infections: Especially the Epstein Bar virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Varicella zoster virus (VZV) and Human herpes virus (HHV). They have been associated with the development of different types of leukemia.
- Chemotherapy induced leukemia: Alkylating agents used for the treatment of other cancers can result in bone marrow suppression and can cause leukemia.
- Hematologic disorders: Such as Myelodysplastic syndrome, in which all the blood cells do not mature properly and can be one of the cause of leukemia cutis.
All of these factors, whether genetic or environmental in the end will cause an arrest in the maturation of the leukocyte precursor cells, the proliferation of immature leukocytes, which will continue to reach the layers of the skin and deposit, causing abnormal lesions.