OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is acute lymphoblastic leukemia. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how acute lymphoblastic leukemia will be characterized on standardized exams (namely the boards and the shelf exams). This page is not meant to be used as a tradition question bank (as all of the answers will be the same), however seeing the classic “test” characterization for a disease is quite valuable.
QUESTION EXAMPLES
Question # 1
A 4 year old boy is brought to the clinic due to a fever. His mother explain that he has been running a high temperature “on and off” for the past week. During the past fe days he has also had decreased activity and has been complaining of joint pain. He has also developed a rash on his chest as of yesterday. The child attends day care with other children. On physical exam he appears pale but is not in any visible distress. His vitals are as follows: temperature 101.3°F, pulse is 135/min, respirations are 23/min. A dermatologic exam shows petechia over his chest. The patient’s conjunctive are able. There is adenopathy noted in the cervical region. The patients spleen is palpated 2 cm below the left costal margin. The rest of the physical exam is unremarkable. Lab studies are as follows:
- Hemoglobin: 6.2 g/dL
- Leukocyte count: 45,000/mm³
- Platelets: 12,000/mm³
What diagnosis could explain this patient’s presentation?
Explanation: fever + pancytopenia = acute lymphoblastic leukemia (other leukemias/malignancies are also possible)
Page Updated: 11.19.2016