Back pain: An unusual manifestation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia - A case report and review of literature.
case_report · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 29417027.
- Also identified by DOI 10.4103/2249-4863.222020 and PMC identifier 5787974.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-SA.
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Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) presented with bone pain and leukopenia is a well-recognized complex. Bone and joint pain are seen as presenting symptoms in 25% of patients with acute leukemia, but generalized osteopenia and vertebral complications are less common. Back pain due to vertebral changes as an early feature has been infrequently reported. We report a case of a 9-year-old female child who presented with back pain for 3 weeks. Blood counts and peripheral smear were normal. X-ray of the spine showed wedge-shaped deformity in L3-L5 vertebrae. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spine confirmed the lytic lesions of L3-L5 vertebrae. Infective etiological evaluation was normal. Bone marrow aspiration revealed pre-B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia. She was started on ALL protocol and pain subsided within a week, and remodeling of the bony lesions could be seen 2 months later. This case highlights that spinal involvement may be a presenting feature despite normal peripheral blood counts.