It's not a tumour! It was, but not what we thought

Abstract

A 71-year-old gentleman with a history of non-melanoma skin cancer and B-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) presented with a recently developed lesion on the left posterior shoulder. This was a translucent and mildly erythematous papule, clinically consistent with a basal cell carcinoma. Excision revealed a dense lymphocytic infiltrate favouring a diagnosis of B-CLL. The patient was on no active treatment as his disease was thought to be stable Cutaneous leukaemic infiltration of neoplastic cells results in an extramedullary manifestation of leukaemia, broadly termed leukaemia cutis (LC). LC is often characterised by nodular lesions, however varying colour and morphology can often cause clinical ambiguity as in this case.<br />