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Pericarditis as presenting manifestation of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia in a young child
Author(s) -
Chu JenYih,
Demello Daphne,
O'Connor Dennis M.,
Chen SuChiung,
Gale Gordon B.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19830715)52:2<322::aid-cncr2820520222>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - medicine , leukemia , pericarditis , pericardial effusion , vincristine , acute lymphocytic leukemia , prednisone , juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia , pediatrics , surgery , chemotherapy , cyclophosphamide , lymphoblastic leukemia , haematopoiesis , stem cell , biology , genetics
A case of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia presenting as pericarditis is reported in a five‐year‐old boy. Initially, a clinical diagnosis of viral pericarditis was made, because the child did not demonstrate hematologic or clinical manifestations of leukemia. Acute undifferentiated or lymphocytic leukemia was diagnosed one week after admission when his peripheral blood count became abnormal. The patient did not respond to vincristine and prednisone. When cytochemical evaluation indicated acute myelomonocytic leukemia, employment of cytosine arabinoside and 6‐thioguanine was instituted and the child began to improve. Currently, he is still in good remission and has no evidence of recurrence of pericarditis, 1 1/2 years after his initial presentation. In reviewing the literature, we found 17 patients who had leukemic pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade. There are three reported cases of young children with pericardial effusion as the initial manifestation of acute lymphocytic leukemia, but no reported cases due to nonlymphocytic leukemia, as in this child. Cancer 52:322‐324, 1983.