Symptoms

Patients with AML commonly present with symptoms related to low blood cell counts. They can also have non-specific symptoms such as fatigue and weak

ness, loss of appetite or weight loss. Common symptoms include:

• Pale skin, difficulty of breathing especially when exercising, palpitations. These symptoms occur because of a low red blood cell count (anemia).
• Nosebleeds, prolonged bleeding after minor cuts, flat pinpoint bleeding spots under the skin (which are called “petechiae”), bleeding gums, unusually heavy or longer periods in women. These symptoms are usually due to low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia)
• Fever, recurrent and sometimes unusual infections because of low white cell counts (neutropenia).

  

Other less common signs and symptoms are:

• Raised skin lesions usually violet-like or gray-blue in color known as “leukemia cutis” are seen in only 10% of patients with AML. These lesions occur when leukemia cells have spread to the skin.
• An increase in the size of the gingiva (gums), called “gingival hypertrophy”, can occur if leukemia cells infiltrate the gums.
• Headache, visual problems, mental change, confusion, and seizures can occur on rare occasions if leukemia cells spread to the brain or if they “plug” vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the brain (the latter situation is known as “leukostasis”).