Leukemia presenting as H1N1 pneumonia

الملخص EN

Swine flu caused by H1N1 virus has complications which could be very severe.

Several studies have reported an association between influenza and malignancies.

We report a child with H1N1 with pancytopenia associated with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

The child presented with high-grade fever and pneumonia; a blood film revealed atypical lymphocytes with no blast cells.

A repeat blood film revealed blast cells, and a subsequent bone marrow examination confirmed the diagnosis of ALL, after which child was started on chemotherapy.