Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Differential Diagnoses

Updated: Apr 17, 2023
  • Author: Karen Seiter, MD; Chief Editor: Emmanuel C Besa, MD  more...
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DDx

Diagnostic Considerations

Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) may present with fever without any other evidence of infection. In these patients, all fevers must be assumed to be due to infections until proven otherwise. Failure to treat infections promptly and aggressively can be fatal; infections are still the most common cause of death in patients undergoing treatment for ALL.

Other conditions that should be considered in the evaluation of suspected acute ALL include acute biphenotypic leukemia and natural killer (NK) cell leukemia.

Differential Diagnoses