title: Clinical presentations of acute leukemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To document the clinical presentation and epidemiology of various types of acute leukemia with their respective referral source at a tertiary level centre in Peshawar.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Pathology, Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Peshawar, from January 2011 to May 2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 618 bone marrow biopsy reports were reviewed. All biopsy reports labeled as acute leukemia were reviewed for age, gender, address, referring unit, diagnosis on bone marrow examination, presenting complaints, duration of illness and findings of clinical examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-two patients were diagnosed as suffering from acute leukemias (15%). ALL was most prevalent (46%), followed by AML (38%) and undifferentiated acute leukemia (16%). Males were affected more compared to females (60% vs. 40%). ALL and AML were predominant in pediatric (64%) and adults (77%) patients respectively. Patients from Afghanistan accounted for 33% of all cases followed by Peshawar (14%). Fever (77%), pallor (33%) and bleeding disorders (23%) were the main presenting complaints. Enlargement of liver, spleen and lymph nodes together was associated with ALL compared with AML (p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ALL-L1 and AML-M4 were the most common sub-types. Fever, pallor and bleeding disorders were the main presenting complaints. Enlargement of liver, spleen and lymph nodes was more frequently associated with ALL compared to AML.
authors: Department of General Surgery, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar.
authors: Faseeh
authors: F
authors: Shahab
authors: Department of General Surgery, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar.
authors: Fazli
authors: F
authors: Raziq
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D001856:Bone Marrow Examination; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007938:Leukemia / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult