Signs and symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia

Signs and symptoms of acute lymphocytic leukemia





Acute lymphocytic leukemia can cause many different signs and symptoms. Most of them occur in all types of ALL, but some are more common in certain subtypes.
Problems caused by low blood counts

Most of the signs and symptoms of ALL result from normal blood cell deficiencies, which happens when leukemia cells displace normal blood-producing cells in the bone marrow. These deficiencies are manifested in blood tests, but they can also cause symptoms, including:

    Feeling tired
    Weakness
    Dizziness or lightheadedness
    Difficulty breathing
    Fever
    Infections that do not go away or recur
    Easily bruising
    Bleeding, such as frequent or severe bleeding from the gums or nose

General symptoms

Patients with ALL often also have several non-specific symptoms that may include:

    Weightloss
    Fever
    Night sweats
    Fatigue
    Loss of appetite

Of course, these symptoms are not only caused by ALL, and are most often caused by another condition that is not leukemia.
Inflammation in the abdomen

Leukemic cells can accumulate in the liver and spleen and cause these organs to increase in size. This may be noted as fullness or swelling of the abdomen or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food. Generally the lower ribs cover these organs, but when they are enlarged it is possible that the doctor feels them.
Swelling of the lymph nodes

ALL that spreads to lymph nodes that are near the surface of the body (such as on the sides of the neck, in the groin, or in areas of the armpits) can be felt as masses under the skin. Inflammation of the lymph nodes found inside the chest or abdomen may also occur, but it can only be detected by imaging studies, such as CT or MRI.
Bone or joint pain

Sometimes the leukemia cells accumulate near the surface of the bones or inside the joints and this causes pain in the bones or joints.
Propagation to other organs

Less often, ALL can spread to other organs.

    If ALL spreads to the brain and spinal cord, it can cause headaches, weakness, seizures, vomiting, balance problems, facial numbness, or blurred vision.
    ALL can spread to the chest cavity, where it can cause fluid buildup and breathing problems.
    Rarely, ALL can spread to the skin, eyes, testicles, kidneys or other organs.

Symptoms due to enlarged thymus

The T cell subtype of ALL often affects the thymus, which is a small organ located in the middle of the chest, behind the sternum (thoracic bone) and in front of the trachea. The inflamed thymus can compress the trachea, causing coughing or difficulty breathing.










The superior vena cava (superior vena cava, SVC), a large vein that carries blood from the head and arms back to the heart, passes close to the thymus. If the thymus is enlarged, it can press the SVC causing the blood to "back up" in the veins. This is called SVC syndrome, and can cause inflammation of the face, neck, arms and upper chest (sometimes with a bluish-red color). It can also cause headaches, dizziness and, if it affects the brain, a change in knowledge. This syndrome can be life threatening and requires immediate treatment.