Abstract
An 86-year-old woman underwent anastomotic site resection with an ileostomy for recurrence of sigmoid colon cancer. Development of surgical site infection was observed following closure of the ileostomy. The patient's white blood cell count increased to 88,840 cells/μL despite wound drainage and the administration of antibiotics. Based on a high clinical suspicion of a hematological disorder, bone marrow aspiration was performed, which showed a normocellular marrow without evidences of abnormal cells. The patient was diagnosed with a leukemoid reaction, and the white blood cell count showed normalization along with improvement in the surgical site infection, following antibiotic treatment. A leukemoid reaction is a rare condition, which can be caused by infection, malignant tumors, or medications. A leukemoid reaction should be distinguished from leukemia or leukemia-related diseases. We report a case of a leukemoid reaction caused by surgical site infection after closure of an ileostomy.
