AML signs and symptoms result from the inability of the bone marrow to make healthy blood cells as a result of the excess of leukaemia cells. These include:
- Anaemia (low red blood cell levels)
- Pale appearance
- Weakness or feeling tired
- Shortness of breath
- Easy bruising, bleeding or petechiae (low platelets levels)
- Petechiae are tiny (2 mm), flat, red/purple spots that develop in the skin because the tiny blood vessels collapse (Figure 3)
- Frequent infections (low white blood cell levels)
- Fever
- Loss of weight or appetite
- Rarely, AML leukaemia cells can penetrate the central nervous system (CNS) and cause the following neurological symptoms:
- Impaired memory and cognition (Vasilatou et al 2014)
- Extrapyramidal symptoms affecting motor control and coordination.
- Extrapyramidal means of origin outside of the pyramidal tracts in the spinal cord.
- Extrapyramidal tracts begin in the brain and carry motor fibres to the spinal cord. They are responsible for involuntary and automatic control of muscle tone, balance and posture.
- Primitive reflexes such as grasp sign and ataxic gait .
Figure 3 Petechiae on leg of patient with AML
StatPearls Publishing LLC.2021 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482331/
Contributed by Rian Kabir, MD
