Leukemia with Osteoarticular Symptoms and Signs

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Among 450 cases of acute leukemia seen at the Mayo Clinic, involvement of bone and joints predominated clinically in 35 instances. These osteoarticular features appeared in 13.9% of the children, 3.9% of the adults, and 7.77c of the total 450 patients. Acute lymphatic leukemia is the morphologic type that most frequently accompanies such osteoarticular features. The lower extremity was the site of involvement in the majority of cases, being affected twice as often as the upper extremity and approximately three times as often as the vertebral column. Migratory joint pain occurred in approximately 50% of the osteoarticular cases, and involvement of one joint was found in 6%. The outstanding physical findings among these 35 patients were pallor and objective evidences of bone and joint dysfunction. Splenomegaly was observed in 50%. Eighty-three per cent had anemia, leukopenia, or leukocytosis, leukopenia being found in 49%. In all cases peripheral blood smears revealed abnormalities in the leukocyte differential or presence of abnormal or immature cells. In 22 instances the smears suggested immediately the diagnosis of acute leukemia. Examination of marrow was diagnostic in all cases. Nine of 12 children and three of eight adults examined roentgenologically for specific skeletal complaints were found to have lesions suggestive of acute leukemia.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: