Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39295289›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of haematology2025

Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Misdiagnoses in Children With Acute Myeloid Leukaemia: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Anne Birthe Helweg Jensen, Helene Riis Pontoppidan Andersen, Sarah Thorius Jensen, Christina Friis Jensen, Jesper Amstrup, René Mathiasen, Kasper Amund Henriksen, Henrik Hasle, Michael Thude Callesen, Ninna Brix

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of haematology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Anne Birthe Helweg JensenDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
Helene Riis Pontoppidan AndersenDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
Sarah Thorius JensenDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
Christina Friis JensenDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
Jesper AmstrupDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
René MathiasenDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Kasper Amund HenriksenDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Henrik HasleDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
Michael Thude CallesenDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Ninna BrixDepartment of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesChildhood cancer often presents with non-specific signs and symptoms that might mimic non-malignant disorders including musculoskeletal diseases, potentially leading to rheumatic and orthopaedic misdiagnoses. We aimed to compare clinical presentation, diagnostic interval and survival in paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with and without initial musculoskeletal symptoms.

methodsThis nationwide retrospective, cohort study reviewed medical records of 144 children below 15 years diagnosed with AML in Denmark from 1996 to 2018.

resultsMusculoskeletal symptoms occurred in 29% (42/144) of children with AML and 8% (11/144) received an initial musculoskeletal misdiagnosis, being mainly non-specific and pain-related. The children with and without musculoskeletal symptoms did not differ markedly up to the diagnosis of AML and blood counts were affected equally in both groups. However, the children with prior musculoskeletal symptoms were more likely to have elevated levels of LDH and ferritin. Furthermore, they revealed a tendency towards a longer total interval (median 53 days vs. 32 days, p = 0.07), but the overall survival did not differ.

conclusionAML should be considered as an underlying cause in children with unexplained musculoskeletal symptoms and abnormal blood counts. Concomitant elevation of LDH and ferritin should strengthen the suspicion.

Indexed as

Diagnostic ErrorsLeukemia, Myeloid, AcuteMusculoskeletal DiseasesAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesDenmarkFemaleHumansInfantMaleRetrospective StudiesSymptom Assessmentacute myeloid leukaemiaadolescentchilddelayed diagnosisdiagnostic errordifferential diagnosisinfantmusculoskeletal diseasesretrospective studies

Identifiers

PMID39295289
PMCPMC11613657

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.