Acute Myeloid Leukemia Presenting as Common Colds: An Uncommon Consideration

Abstract

Acute myeloid leukemia is the most common form of leukemia and can present with a wide variety of signs and symptoms. This article presents a case of a middle-aged male who presented with ongoing upper respiratory cold-like symptoms and was then found to be severely pancytopenic. A diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia was made after a bone marrow biopsy, and the patient underwent induction chemotherapy. This article brings to light the uncommon diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, from a common presentation, a common cold. Additionally, it discusses the initial workup and diagnostic process of acute myeloid leukemia, risk stratification, and a basic treatment algorithm.

Keywords: acute myeloid leukemia (aml); bone marrow; common colds; cytarabine; hematopoietic stem cell transplant; leukemia; oncology.