CHILDHOOD ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA PRESENTING AS JAUNDICE

An unusual presentation of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in a 6- year-old girl is reported. She presented with unilateral cervical lymp hadenopathy, a mixed obstructive/cholestatic jaundice and a progressiv e pancytopenia. Ultrasound examination revealed an obstructed common b ile duct with gross thickening of the wall of the duct and intrahepati c bile duct dilatation. The jaundice resolved with high dose intraveno us (i.v.) methylprednisolone. It is postulated that this was due to in filtration of the common bile duct, given the failure to demonstrate a ny other cause for the bile duct pathology.