Severe Folate Deficiency Mimicking Myelodysplastic Syndrome/Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report
Scott Potter, Margaret Williams, Timothy M Hanley, Kalyani Sen · 2026
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Description
Scott Potter, Margaret Williams, Timothy M Hanley and Kalyani Sen present, in 2026, a patient whose severe folate deficiency looked like a bone marrow cancer. Folate, vitamin B9, is essential for DNA copying in fast-growing marrow cells. Severe shortage usually causes a distinctive anemia, but rarely it produces low counts across all blood lines with marrow changes mimicking myelodysplastic syndrome or leukemia.
Their patient had normal vitamin B12 levels, yet the blood and marrow picture initially suggested high-risk marrow disease. With folate replacement, the abnormalities resolved. The authors warn that careful nutritional assessment is essential before labeling such cases as cancers needing toxic chemotherapy, since the mimic is reversible.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Scott Potter, Margaret Williams, Timothy M Hanley, Kalyani Sen |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 21 KB |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |