Pseudoleukemia due to infection. A case report

A 29-year-old white female developed fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and hypovolemic shock. Twenty-four hours after resection of intraperitoneal adhesions she had granulocytopenia and leukopenia with a marked "left shift"; a bone marrow aspirate was interpreted as showing acute non-lymphocytic leukemia. The clinical presentation made this diagnosis unlikely and the subsequent course indicated that this was a reaction to bacterial infection.