Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team May 13, 2026 47 minutes ago
Medical News: Doctors in the United States have reported a frightening medical case in which a man infected with COVID-19 suddenly developed repeated seizures, only to discover that he had an aggressive form of blood cancer known as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The unusual case is raising fresh concerns among scientists about whether COVID-19 may sometimes help expose previously undiagnosed cancers or worsen hidden blood disorders.
Doctors discover aggressive leukemia after a COVID-positive patient suffers multiple seizures and
life-threatening blood complications
The researchers involved in the case were from Hudson Regional Health (HRH) Bayonne University Hospital in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA. The team included specialists from the departments of Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Rheumatology.
A Vacation That Ended in A Medical Emergency
The patient, a previously healthy 61-year-old man, had recently returned from a cruise when he began feeling increasingly weak, dizzy, feverish, and exhausted. For nearly two weeks, his condition gradually worsened. He lost his appetite, experienced chills, and became extremely fatigued.
Things took a terrifying turn when he suddenly suffered six generalized seizures in a single day, causing head trauma and forcing an emergency hospital admission.
When doctors examined him, they found he was pale, lethargic, and dangerously ill. His heart rate had soared to 158 beats per minute, and blood tests revealed shocking abnormalities. His white blood cell count had exploded to 132.9 × 10⁹/L, far above normal levels. Meanwhile, his hemoglobin levels had collapsed to 5.4 g/dL, showing severe anemia, while platelet levels had dropped to critically low levels. The patient also tested positive for COVID-19.
Hidden Leukemia Suddenly Revealed
Further testing uncovered the true cause behind the crisis. Blood smears showed large numbers of immature cancerous blood cells called myeloblasts, along with structures known as Auer rods, classic warning signs of acute myeloid leukemia.
AML is an aggressive blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow and rapidly spreads into the bloodstream. One of the most dangerous complications is hyperleukocytosis, where white blood cell levels become so high that the blood thickens and blocks tiny blood vessels.
Doctors believe this dangerous blood thickening likely contributed to the man’s seizures by reducing blood flow to the brain.
The patient also showed signs of early tumor lysis syndrome, a deadly condition in which cancer cells rapidly break apart and release toxic substances into the blood. His uric acid and lactate dehydrogenase levels were extremely elevated, and his kidneys had already begun to fail.
Scans of the lungs revealed mild COVID-related pneumonitis with ground-glass lung opacities, while chest X-rays showed an enlarged heart and abnormalities in the lower lungs.
Clinical Procedures
The medical team immediately transferred the patient to intensive care. They rapidly started hydroxyurea, a drug used to lower
dangerously high white blood cell counts. He was also given intravenous fluids, allopurinol to prevent tumor lysis complications, blood transfusions, platelet transfusions, antibiotics, remdesivir, and dexamethasone for COVID-19 treatment.
Remarkably, within just 72 hours, the patient’s white blood cell count dropped from 132.9 × 10⁹/L to 32.5 × 10⁹/L. His kidney function improved, metabolic abnormalities stabilized, and the seizures stopped completely.
This
Medical News report highlights how quickly AML can spiral into a life-threatening emergency when combined with another major infection such as COVID-19.
After stabilization, the patient was transferred to a specialized cancer center for definitive chemotherapy treatment.
Could COVID-19 Be Unmasking Leukemia?
Researchers say the case adds to growing evidence that COVID-19 may play a role in exposing previously hidden blood cancers.
Scientists believe SARS-CoV-2 infection can trigger severe immune system dysregulation and massive inflammatory responses. These inflammatory pathways may stimulate abnormal myeloid cells and accelerate leukemia progression in susceptible individuals.
Although the researchers stressed that a direct cause-and-effect relationship cannot yet be proven, they noted that several similar reports have emerged since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The team also explained that neurological symptoms such as seizures are uncommon in AML but become more likely when blood becomes abnormally thick due to extremely high white cell counts. In addition, severe anemia, kidney dysfunction, and metabolic disturbances may worsen brain complications.
Conclusion
The case serves as an important warning for both doctors and the public. Symptoms such as extreme fatigue, unexplained bruising, dizziness, recurrent fever, or sudden neurological problems should never be ignored, especially during infections like COVID-19. Acute myeloid leukemia can progress very rapidly and become fatal within days if not recognized early.
Researchers say this case demonstrates how COVID-19 may sometimes act as a physiological stress trigger that exposes hidden cancers already developing silently inside the body. Rapid diagnosis, aggressive treatment to lower white blood cell counts, prevention of tumor lysis syndrome, and specialized cancer care remain critical for survival in such patients. More research is urgently needed to better understand how viral infections interact with blood cancers and whether COVID-19 may accelerate disease progression in vulnerable individuals.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Cureus.
https://www.cureus.com/articles/470328-seizures-and-hyperleukocytosis-revealing-new-onset-acute-myeloid-leukemia-during-acute-covid-19-infection#!/
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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