Abstract
Myeloid sarcoma in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) manifesting as a non-healing tonsillar ulcer is an extremely rare occurrence. We report the case of a 57-year-old male smoker with a non-healing tonsillar ulcer who underwent tonsillectomy to rule out tonsillar carcinoma after failed antibiotic therapy. On postoperative day 2, he presented with a temperature of 40°C and white blood cell count of 34700/μL. Antibiotic therapy was begun; however, he died 1 day later due to pulmonary infection and septic shock. Though extremely rare, tonsillar involvement of MDS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a non-healing tonsillar lesion. When definitive diagnosis requires a tissue sample, punch biopsy may be preferable to tonsillectomy in a patient who may be immunocompromised, and appropriate prophylactic antibiotics should be administered.
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Cheng, CC., Ueng, SH., Li, HY. et al. Post-tonsillectomy pulmonary complication in a patient with tonsillar myeloid sarcoma. Int J Hematol 93, 220–223 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-010-0744-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-010-0744-0