A 3-year-old boy is admitted with febrile seizures. A lumbar puncture is performed to rule out meningitis. The cytospin differential shows many large lymphoblasts with irregular nuclear membranes. This means that the patient:

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The presence of large lymphoblasts with irregular nuclear membranes on cytospin differential suggests that the patient may have leukemia that has spread to the spinal column. Leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, and can spread to other parts of the body, including the central nervous system. Febrile seizures may be a complication of leukemia, as high fever and infections are common in these patients. It is important to pursue further diagnostic testing and treatment for leukemia if this is suspected.

A 3-Year-Old Boy Is Admitted with Febrile Seizures