Grade 4 very severe hypertriglyceridaemia at diagnosis in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Abstract

Dyslipidaemia is seen in nearly all cases of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) at diagnosis, with mild hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG) in 61% and reduced high-density lipoprotein in 98% cases. HTG irrespective of severity is due to metabolic derangements associated with tumour cells turnover in haematological malignancies and is generally self-limiting. Very severe HTG with overt lipaemic serum is extremely rare at presentation in ALL. HTG is complicated by thrombosis, osteonecrosis and pancreatitis during induction chemotherapy for ALL with steroids and L-asparginase. A careful monitoring is required during induction chemotherapy in ALL when severe HTG is present at diagnosis. We present a female toddler with ALL, who presented with very severe HTG and grossly lipaemic serum. Her very severe HTG decreased to mildly raised HTG at the end of first week of induction chemotherapy. There was no further complication noticed during induction therapy.