Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 14, 2025

Detection of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Haematological Malignancy Patients by using Lateral-flow Technology
Published on: March 22, 2012
COVID-19 in a Patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia with Pseudohypoxemia
Orivaldo Alves Barbosa1,2, Talita Guimarães Andrade2, Maria Danielly de Almeida Sousa2
1Hospital Geral Dr. César Cals, Fortaleza /Ceará, Brazil.
Abstract:
Infection with SARS-CoV-2 causes critical disease in approximately 5% of affected patients, particularly the elderly, hypertensive, obese and immunocompromised. Patients with haematological cancer, including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), are particularly at risk of complications. Very rarely, patients with extreme leukocytosis may develop spurious hypoxemia, or pseudohypoxemia, which confuses the diagnosis of complications and can lead to intervention errors. We report the case of a patient with CLL, severe infection with SARS-CoV-2 and pseudohypoxemia.
Learning Points:
Patients with haematological neoplasms are susceptible to viral, bacterial and fungal infections, and are thus at risk of COVID-19.Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia may rarely, due to a high lymphocyte count, present with spurious, or in vitro, hypoxemia.The clinician must identify and properly treat such cases to prevent any unnecessary treatments and their complications.
Related Concept Videos
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Smoking is a primary risk factor for COPD, with over 80% of patients having a history of it. Patients typically experience progressive dyspnea or labored breathing, frequent coughing, and recurrent pulmonary infections. Many eventually succumb to respiratory failure, characterized by...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-III: Symptoms and Complications.
Symptoms of COPD can be classified as primary or systemic. Primary symptoms relate to reduced airflow, while systemic or extrapulmonary symptoms relate to COPD's broader impact on the body.
Primary Symptoms of COPD:
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-II: Pathophysiology
Chronic Inflammation
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-I: Introduction
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-V: Management
Smoking Cessation
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...

