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Case Reports
. 2023 Nov 1;45(8):e1023-e1024.
doi: 10.1097/MPH.0000000000002750. Epub 2023 Aug 25.

A "SURFin' Leukemia": Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Masquerading as a Syndrome of Undifferentiated Recurrent Fever

Laura De Nardi  1 , Martina D'Agostin  1 , Samuele Naviglio  2 , Andrea Trombetta  1 , Eleonora De Martino  2 , Alberto Tommasini  1   2 , Marco Rabusin  1
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Free article
Case Reports

A "SURFin' Leukemia": Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Masquerading as a Syndrome of Undifferentiated Recurrent Fever

Laura De Nardi et al. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. .
Free article

Abstract

Periodic fever is not uncommon in childhood and is often ascribed to autoinflammatory conditions; however, it may be present also in children with cancer. We here describe the case of a 3-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who initially presented with a 4-month history of recurrent, stereotyped episodes of fever and localized joint pain, separated by completely symptom-free intervals. These symptoms were initially interpreted as a possible syndrome of undifferentiated recurrent fever until more signs of leukemia became apparent. Our report confirms that acute lymphoblastic leukemia can rarely present with periodic fever, thus possibly leading to diagnostic errors unless a high index of suspicion is maintained.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

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