Author(s) :

Arihant, U., Shweta , N..

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Patients with hematologic malignancies can visit the emergency department for various reasons. The role of an emergency physician is to look for oncological emergencies in such patients and treat them. We report one such presentation of a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We report a case of a 46-year-old male recently diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia who presented to the emergency department with vertigo and breathlessness. Clinical examination showed low oxygen saturation, right sensorineural hearing loss, and splenomegaly. Hyperleukocytosis in complete blood count and clinical features suggestive of poor tissue perfusion made us suspect leukostasis. Initial brain and chest imaging were normal. We treated him with leukapheresis, cytoreduction, and tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) prophylaxis. Leukostasis is a medical emergency, and it is essential to consider this in patients with hematologic malignancies. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial because the mortality rate rises to 40% if left untreated.

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