Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia - Risk Factors

Symptoms

The symptoms of ALL may be difficult to recognize. ALL usually begins abruptly and intensely, but in some cases symptoms may develop slowly. They may be present one day, and absent the next, particularly in children. Symptoms develop when:

• There are not enough healthy mature white blood cells (leukocytes) to mount a defense against infection.
• There are not enough healthy blood-clotting cells (platelets) to prevent bleeding.
• The depleted oxygen-bearing red blood cells can't provide enough oxygen to organs.

Symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Paleness -- patients may have poor coloring from anemia caused by insufficient red blood cells
• Recurrent minor infections
• Fever without known cause
• Bone pain
• Abdominal swelling
• Bruising -- may result from only slight injury
• Poor healing of minor cuts
• Uncontrolled bleeding -- bleeding events increase as the bone marrow fails to produce enough platelets to make a normal blood clot, a condition called thrombocytopenia.
• Small, red spots on the skin (petechiae)
• Vision changes (rare)

Review Date: 01/27/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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