What diseases can mimic leukemia?

Leukemia is commonly misdiagnosed as the following conditions:
  • Influenza.
  • Fever.
  • Pathological fracture.
  • Bleeding disorders.
  • Immune thrombocytopenic purpura.
  • Trypanosomiasis.
  • Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome.
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What diseases are similar to leukemia?

Related Diseases
  • Monoclonal gammopathy.
  • Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM)
  • Primary amyloidosis.
  • Heavy chain disease.
  • Light chain deposition disease (LCDD)
  • Plasma cell leukemia (PCL)
  • POEMS syndrome.
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What blood disorder mimics leukemia?

Myelodysplastic syndrome refers to a group of related disorders in which abnormal blood-forming cells develop in the bone marrow. At first, these cells interfere with the production of normal blood cells. Later, these cells may become cancerous, turning into a form of leukemia (see also Overview of Leukemia.
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What cancers are similar to leukemia?

Types of blood cancer
  • Leukaemia. These cancers develop in the bone marrow, disrupting normal blood cell functions.
  • Lymphoma. ...
  • Myeloma. ...
  • Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) ...
  • Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) ...
  • Amyloidosis. ...
  • Waldenstrom's macroglobulinaemia (WM) ...
  • Aplastic anaemia.
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Can acute leukemia be misdiagnosed?

Granular Acute lymphoblastic Leukaemia (G-ALL) may be misdiagnosed as Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) because of the presence of cytoplasmic granules in the lymphoblasts. This variant of ALL is usually noted in children, but may be seen in adults too.
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Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): Symptoms (ex. Skin Blisters), Diagnosis and Treatment (Vit D?)



How do you rule out leukemia?

Blood tests.

By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets — which may suggest leukemia. A blood test may also show the presence of leukemia cells, though not all types of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood.
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How can leukemia be misdiagnosed?

Can Leukemia Be Misdiagnosed? In many cases, cancer of the blood does not show any symptoms until the disease has progressed, which can lead to a misdiagnosis or a failure to diagnose. The symptoms of this disease can often be indicative of other illnesses.
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Can leukemia be mistaken for lupus?

There are only rare reports of LC mimicking lupus erythematosus. One case of LC in the setting of acute myelogenous leukemia presented with facial erythema simulating a butterfly rash,6 and another case of ALL in a child presented with erythematous macules on the cheeks.
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Can anemia be mistaken for leukemia?

While anemia and leukemia are very different conditions, they share a core similarity: they both affect the blood. But leukemia is a cancer, which involves unchecked cell growth. In contrast, anemia involves a lack of red blood cells. That said, leukemia does remain a risk factor for anemia.
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Can mono mimic leukemia?

Occasionally, this condition advances into infectious mononucleosis and can resemble or cause acute leukemia, lymphoma, and many other hematologic emergencies.
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Can EBV mimic leukemia?

EBV is also the most common infectious trigger of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis [2, 3]. The presentation of both diseases mimics lymphoreticular malignancies and frequently it can be mistaken for leukemia and lymphomas.
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Can ITP be mistaken for leukemia?

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is not cancer, although some confuse it with blood cancer (leukemia). If you have a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), your doctor will first rule out conditions, such as ITP, before thinking of blood cancer. Cancer treatments can also result in ITP.
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Is there such a thing as pre-leukemia?

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) used to be known as “pre-leukemia,” or sometimes “smoldering leukemia.” MDS is a group of blood disorders that can cause you to have low levels of: red blood cells. white blood cells.
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Can Lyme mimic leukemia?

There is some evidence that inflammation due to Lyme disease can sometimes cause certain forms of blood cancer, such as lymphoma. But most people with Lyme disease do not develop leukemia. Some people with leukemia develop a rash due to burst blood vessels.
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What were your first signs of leukemia?

Early Symptoms of Leukemia
  • Fatigue.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Bone/joint pain.
  • Headaches.
  • Fever, chills.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Night sweats.
  • Abdominal discomfort.
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Is B12 deficiency linked to leukemia?

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause profound alterations in the bone marrow. These alterations can mimic the more serious diagnosis of acute leukemia.
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Can leukemia be missed in a CBC?

Any elevated white count should bring up the possibility of acute leukemia. There is usually something in the CBC report that gives it away and there may be something in this case, which will make the failure to diagnoses earlier more egregious. The issue then is a delay in diagnosing acute leukemia.
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What WBC count indicates leukemia?

Effects of Too Many White Blood Cells

Typically a healthy person has a white blood cell count of about 4,000-11,000. Patients with acute or even chronic leukemia may come in with a white blood cell count up into the 100,000-400,000 range.
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Can autoimmune cause leukemia?

Autoimmune disease may also lead to a higher risk of cancers of the blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes, such as leukemia and lymphoma.
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Does leukemia come on suddenly?

Acute leukemia may cause signs and symptoms that are similar to the flu. They come on suddenly within days or weeks. Chronic leukemia often causes only a few symptoms or none at all. Signs and symptoms usually develop gradually.
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Can you develop leukemia in 6 months?

Acute leukaemia develops very quickly. Chronic leukaemia tends to develop slowly. Usually over months or years without causing many symptoms. Doctors divide these groups further depending on the type of white blood cell they affect.
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When should you suspect leukemia?

If a person appears pale, has enlarged lymph nodes, swollen gums, an enlarged liver or spleen, significant bruising, bleeding, fever, persistent infections, fatigue, or a small pinpoint rash, the doctor should suspect leukemia. A blood test showing an abnormal white cell count may suggest the diagnosis.
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Does leukemia show up in routine blood work?

Doctors may identify leukemia during routine blood tests, before a patient has symptoms. If you already have symptoms and go for a medical visit, your doctor will perform a physical exam to check for swollen lymph nodes, spleen or liver.
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What would a CBC look like with leukemia?

If you have leukemia, your blood cells count will likely show higher than usual levels of white blood cells, which include leukemic cells. You may also have lower than usual red blood cell and platelet cell counts. If all three types are low, this is known as pancytopenia.
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What is the difference between MDS and leukemia?

In the past, MDS was sometimes referred to as pre-leukemia or smoldering leukemia. Because most patients do not get leukemia, MDS used to be classified as a disease of low malignant potential. Now that doctors have learned more about MDS, it is considered to be a form of cancer.
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