International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 1, Issue 4 , Pages 164-167, December 2007

Acute Abdomen in Post-chemotherapy Acute Monoblastic Leukemia

  • Shih-Yi Lee

      Affiliations

    • Division of Chest Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Jian-Hong Lin

      Affiliations

    • Division of Hema-Oncology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chuan-Tsai Lai

      Affiliations

    • Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Chuan-Tsai Lai, Department of Internal Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, 92, Section 2, Chung-Shan North Road, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Kuo-Song Chang

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Shou-Chuan Shih

      Affiliations

    • Gastroenterology Division, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Accepted 2 July 2007.

Article Outline

Summary 

A neutropenic patient with an acute abdomen could confuse the medical doctor in the decision making of whether or not a surgical intervention is essential to resolve the medical problem. Here, we report a 62-yearold female with acute monoblastic leukemia that was complicated by neutropenic fever and abdominal pain on the 13th day after receiving the first chemotherapy consisting of 1-beta-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine and idarubicin. Abdominal computed tomography revealed colitis involving the entire ascending colon. Neutropenic enterocolitis with Enterobacter cloacae septicemia was the final diagnosis. She received conservative management with close observation and recovered eventually. We discuss the etiologies of acute abdomen in patients receiving chemotherapy and their differential diagnosis.

Key Words:  abdominal pain , chemotherapy , gerontology , neutropenic enterocolitis , typhlitis

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PII: S1873-9598(08)70041-3

doi:10.1016/S1873-9598(08)70041-3

International Journal of Gerontology
Volume 1, Issue 4 , Pages 164-167, December 2007

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