[Musculoskeletal pain: a common initial sign of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia].
Musculoskeletal pain is a common complaint in paediatrics usually due to benign diseases. Nevertheless neoplasms, particularly acute leukaemia, must be considered in the differential diagnosis. During the last 9 months 4 of the 9 patients diagnosed with acute leukaemia at our hospital presented with a limp, arthralgias, lumbar or bony pain. We describe these cases and review the clinical and analytical parameters that help to differentiate benign pain from that associated with a malignant disease. The early detection of these processes may represent a significant improvement in their prognosis.
Casado Picón
R
R
Sección de Reumatología Infantil, Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Doce de Octubre, Madrid, España. rocapi@telefonica.net
Barrios López
M
M
de Inocencio Arocena
J
J
Baro Fernández
M
M
Vivanco Martínez
J L
JL
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009141:Musculoskeletal System; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*