The association of paraneoplastic rheumatic disorder and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is rarely reported in the adolescent male. The clinical manifestations develop within two years before the diagnosis of associated malignancy. We report a case of an 18-year-old male, who presented with pyrexia of unknown origin, bicytopenia and autoantibodies that was consistent with the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus. The peripheral blood film was eventually consistent with pancytopenia, devoid of any dysplastic changes or abnormal cells. When his cytopenia persisted despite empirical steroid therapy, a trephine biopsy revealed a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. He was started on chemotherapy with UKALL regime and was well in his recent follow-up early this year where he was on maintenance therapy.

Sickle cell disease in Malay ethnicity is uncommon, with few cases been reported only in Malaysian Indians. Detecting sickle haemoglobin in patients with osteoarticular manifestation is not as simple as those with haemolysis crisis, due to its extremely low incidence in this country. We hereby report a case of a 19-year-old Malay female who presented with a long-standing history of disabling movement of both hip joints, intermittent painful swollen right elbow, and chronic back pain. Imaging investigations revealed features of chronic osteomyelitis and avascular necrosis while blood investigations demonstrated features of mild normochromic normocytic anaemia and extravascular haemolysis. Further blood smear and haemoglobin analysis eventually confirmed the presence of homozygous sickle haemoglobin manifesting as sickle cell anaemia. Our case has highlighted the importance of prompt identification and thorough evaluation of the cause of anaemia in a patient with disabling chronic osteoarticular problem.