Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Presenting with Cardiac Tamponade: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemic neoplasm, comprising approximately 80% of adult cases with a mean age of diagnosis of 68 years old. AML is characterized by the presence of a variety of malignant cells that may be classified by immunohistochemistry and genotypically. We present a case of AML in a young, African-American male who presented to the hospital reporting three days of fevers, and one episode of nighttime sweating. The patient was found to have a moderately sized pericardial effusion with features of early tamponade physiology as well as significant biventricular hypertrophy. Upon bone marrow biopsy the patient was diagnosed with AML and was promptly started on cytarabine and daunorubicin. This paper serves to raise awareness for clinicians to remain cognizant that common diseases, such as AML may present in uncommon ways and to highlight the importance of multidisciplinary care teams in the treatment of patients with neoplastic disease.