Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia – Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

New York (USA), June 25, 2013

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia: Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia include:

– Frequent bouts of unexplained fever and infection
– Breathlessness
– Fatigue, overall weakness, and lethargic feeling
– Bleeding from gums
– Enlarged lymph nodes, liver, spleen
– Pain in the bones specifically in the joints due to spreading of blast cells
– Formation of petechia that is small red spots on skin due to low platelet levels
– Swelling in lower limbs, groin, underarm, and abdomen
– Frequent or severe nosebleeds
– Pale skin
– Excessive and unexplained bruising
– Anemia
– Unexplained weight loss accompanied with loss of appetite
– Abnormal periods in women
– Pain or heavy feeling in abdomen
– Night sweats
– Respiratory problems
– Renal failure
– Altered mental status

Most symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia are similar to those of flu. However, if such symptoms do not fade away with flu treatment or continue to flare, it is best to consult your doctor. The initial symptoms are not due to acute lymphocytic leukemia. They occur due to absence of sufficient number of healthy red blood cells. Acute lymphocytic leukemia causes extensive overcrowding of immature white blood cells that eventually push away red blood cells from your blood.

Fever is the most common and foremost symptom of acute lymphocytic leukemia. Often, in acute lymphocytic leukemia patients fever develops without any reason or cause for infection. It also continues to persist despite treatments and medications for fever. Such fever is fatal and requires immediate medical attention. Developing further infections at this stage is very dangerous and is the primary cause for death in acute lymphocytic leukemia patients now.

Skin rashes develop due to infiltration of leukemic cells on the skin. Numerous leukemia cells penetrate bone marrow and are responsible for severe pain in bones. Further, such pain is atypical and extremely severe. Neutrophil counts are normally low in acute lymphocytic leukemia patients irrespective of white blood cell count. Hence, you are at an increased risk of infection.

If such symptoms are persistent and do not improve in you or your child, it is best to meet your doctor immediately.

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