Frank hematuria as the presentation feature of acute leukemia

Muco-cutaneous bleeding is a common presenting feature of acute leukemias. Mucosal bleeding usually manifests as gum bleeding and/or epistaxis but may occur in any mucosal surface of the body. Hematuria as an isolated or main presenting feature of acute leukemia is rare. We describe two cases of acu...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Suriya Owais, Aleem Aamer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2010-01-01
Series:Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation
Online Access:http://www.sjkdt.org/article.asp?issn=1319-2442;year=2010;volume=21;issue=5;spage=940;epage=942;aulast=Suriya
Description
Summary:Muco-cutaneous bleeding is a common presenting feature of acute leukemias. Mucosal bleeding usually manifests as gum bleeding and/or epistaxis but may occur in any mucosal surface of the body. Hematuria as an isolated or main presenting feature of acute leukemia is rare. We describe two cases of acute leukemia, a 19 year old male with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and a 52 year old male with acute myeloid leukemia, both presenting with gross hematuria. There was no demonstrable leukemic infiltration of the urinary tract on imaging studies. Hematuria in these patients was likely to be due to occult leukemic infiltration of the urinary system, aggravated by thrombocytopenia, as it subsided after starting chemotherapy. Our cases highlight that hematuria should be remembered as a rare presenting feature of acute leukemia.
ISSN:1319-2442