Paraneoplastic Leukocytosis: A Poor Prognostic Marker in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Hyperleukocytosis is a rare form of paraneoplastic syndrome that has been reported in adenocarcinomas, particularly pancreatic cancer. We present an elderly man with chronic abdominal pain and weight loss for six months. On examination, he had diffuse tenderness and marked ascites. A workup with a C...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2020-07, Vol.12 (7)
Main Authors: Kabashneh, Sohaip, Ali, Hammad, Shanah, Layla, Alkofahi, Ala A, Alkassis, Samer
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abdomen
Antibiotics
Ascites
Autoimmune diseases
Cancer
Case reports
Granulocytes
Growth factors
Hematology
Infections
Internal Medicine
Leukemia
Losses
Medical prognosis
Metastasis
Oncology
Pancreatic cancer
Patients
Tumors
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Summary:Hyperleukocytosis is a rare form of paraneoplastic syndrome that has been reported in adenocarcinomas, particularly pancreatic cancer. We present an elderly man with chronic abdominal pain and weight loss for six months. On examination, he had diffuse tenderness and marked ascites. A workup with a CT scan revealed a pancreatic mass, which was confirmed to be pancreatic adenocarcinoma on biopsy. His lab work showed a significant leukocytosis. An extensive infectious workup was negative. He was not on any medications known to cause a leukocytosis; therefore, his leukocytosis was attributed to his cancer. Unfortunately, he died just a few days later. This case highlights hyperleukocytosis as a paraneoplastic syndrome that is a poor prognostic sign, and can be used as a marker for disease progression.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.9013