Acute lymphocytic leukemia masquerading as acute osteomyelitis. A report of two cases.

Two children each developed a focal destructive bone lesion accompanied by intermittent fever, swelling, tenderness and elevated ESR. Blood counts were normal; bone marrow aspiration showed acute leukemia. The bone lesions healed in both patients after anti-leukemic therapy. We suggest that the similar roentgenographic appearance of osteomyelitis, bone infarction and focal destructive lesions in leukemia probably reflects a common, basically ischemic process of bone.