Acute myeloid leukemia manifesting as pruritus: a case report

Abstract

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is considered a rare malignancy of the stem cell precursors in the bone marrow, resulting in only 1.2% of new malignancy diagnoses in the United States. Pruritus is a frequent complaint for dermatology providers, averaging up to 54% of adult outpatient dermatologic patients. Dermatologic manifestations, specifically pruritus, are not common in AML; however, AML is a potentially lethal malignancy that should be considered. Here, the author describes a case of a male patient with no past malignancy history. He presented to the outpatient dermatology clinic with complaints of generalized pruritus for 1–2 weeks. He was diagnosed with severe anemia and subsequently AML after direct admission to local inpatient hematology/oncology specialists. This case illustrates the importance of considering malignancy, specifically leukemia and AML, as a differential in patients with generalized pruritus.