Symptoms
Acute lymphocytic leukemia may be difficult to recognize. Symptoms develop under the following conditions:
- When there are insufficient healthy mature white blood cells (leukocytes) to mount a defense against infection.
- When there are not enough healthy platelets to prevent bleeding.
- When the depleted oxygen-bearing red blood cells are unable to provide enough oxygen to organs.
ALL often begins abruptly and intensely, but symptoms may also develop slowly over time. They may be present one day and absent the next, particularly in children. They include the following:
- Patients with ALL may tire easily and have poor coloring from anemia caused by insufficient red blood cells.
- Recurrent minor infections.
- Bone pain.
- Bruising, poor healing of minor cuts, or uncontrolled bleeding. Such symptoms may result from only slight injury. Such bleeding events increase as the bone marrow fails to produce sufficient platelets to make a normal blood clot (a condition called thrombocytopenia).
- Small, red spots on the skin known as petechiae. They may form as a result of bleeding due to thrombocytopenia.
- Vision changes (rare). In rare cases, leukemia affects the eye, causing worsening vision or other visual symptoms.
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