Acute Myeloid Leukemia Symptoms

Most signs and symptoms of AML are due to the increased numbers of malignant white blood cells displacing or otherwise interfering with production of normal blood cells in the bone marrow. A lack of normal blood cell production in the bone marrow makes the patient susceptible to infections due to the lack of normal immune cells, chiefly the so-called neutrophils. A lack of red blood cells (anemia) can cause fatigue, paleness, and shortness of breath. A lack of platelets can lead to easy bruising or bleeding with minor trauma. The early signs of AML are often non-specific, and may be similar to those of influenza or other common illnesses. Some generalized symptoms include:

* Fever
* Fatigue
* Weight loss or loss of appetite
* Shortness of breath (dyspnea), especially with exertion
* Anemia
* Easy bruising or bleeding
* Petechiae - flat, pin-head sized spots under the skin caused by bleeding
* Bone pain and joint pain
* Persistent or frequent infections

Some patients of AML with subtype M5 may experience swelling of the gums due to the spread of the disease there. Rarely, the first sign of leukemia may be the development of a solid leukemic mass or tumor outside of the bone marrow, called a chloroma. Occasionally, a person may show no symptoms and the leukemia may be discovered during a routine blood test.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia