Typhlitis in a patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia prior to the administration of chemotherapy

A 3-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed typhlitis immediately after diagnosis and before the institution of chemotherapy.

Typhlitis is a necrotizing colitis that develops in immunodeficient patients with severe neutropenia. Most patients are leukemic children who are receiving or have received chemotherapy. Typhlitis in the absence of chemotherapy is rare. We report a fatal case of typhlitis in an untreated leukemic patient.

This case emphasizes the multifactorial pathogenesis of typhlitis, which may occur in the absence of chemotherapy.

Typhlitis should always be considered as a potential cause of acute sepsis and abdominal pain in a leukemic patient.