# A Rare Case of Acute Pancreatitis as an Initial Presentation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

## TL;DR

A rare case shows acute pancreatitis as the first sign of acute myeloid leukemia in a young man, highlighting unusual disease presentation.

## Contribution

This case report highlights an uncommon initial presentation of acute myeloid leukemia as acute pancreatitis.

## Key findings

- A 32-year-old male presented with acute pancreatitis and was later diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia M5.
- The patient's condition rapidly deteriorated despite treatment, leading to death.
- Severe anemia and blast cells in blood tests confirmed the leukemia diagnosis.

## Abstract

Acute pancreatitis is a rare manifestation of acute myeloid leukemia which can be a presentation at the initial diagnosis or during or after the onset of the disease. Acute myeloid leukemia occurs due to the abnormal proliferation of undifferentiated hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow which alter the normal hematopoiesis.

We report the case of a 32-year-old male admitted with a one-month history of fever and backache, followed by 15 days of blackish stool discoloration and two days of abdominal pain and reduced urine output. On clinical examination, he was hypoxic with respiratory distress with epigastric tenderness. Blood investigations and imaging were consistent with acute pancreatitis. A complete blood count with peripheral smear showed severe normocytic normochromic anemia and an increased myeloid series containing 50% myeloblasts and 30% monoblasts. Additionally, some cells displayed cytoplasmic vacuolations, with a reticulocyte count of 2%. These findings were suggestive of acute myeloid leukemia M5. Due to the poor Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), he was intubated and placed on mechanical ventilation. Unfortunately, he did not improve despite treatment and succumbed to the illness.