It appears as purple spots, petechiae (tiny purple, brown, or red spots), or purple, netlike lesions that develop on the skin. Treatment options may include cyclosporine or Prograf (tacrolimus).
Petechiae usually turns up on the arms and legs. “Many patients will notice a lot of scattered bright red dots on their arms or lower legs that occur with very little or no known trauma,” Dr. Wang says. “It's a sign that a person's platelet count is extremely low.”
Petechiae from leukemia often resemble a common skin rash, such as atopic dermatitis. However, leukemia rashes have a distinguishing characteristic: When pressure is applied, the spots will retain their red, purple or brown color. Conversely, when pressure is applied to any other type of rash, the skin will turn white.
Stage 1 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and enlarged lymph nodes. Stage 2 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and is anemic. He or she may also have enlarged lymph nodes. Stage 3 – A patient has high levels of white blood cells and is anemic.
Many times, petechiae will go away when the leukemia itself is treated. 4 Treatments like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, or a bone marrow transplant are some options. Your healthcare provider might also prescribe a steroid to reduce swelling or a medication to suppress your immune system.
Petechiae can be a sign of a severe illness or medical emergency, especially in children. Seek medical attention if you have pinpoint red dots on the skin and: Confusion, dizziness or loss of consciousness (syncope, or passing out).
Is a rash a symptom of leukemia? Petechiae and purpura can be the first sign of leukemia a person notices. However, they can also result from other conditions. People with leukemia can also be more prone to infections, including skin infections.
Chronic Leukemia May Go Undetected
It may take months or even several years before the disease begins to cause symptoms that alert the patient that something is wrong.
Persistent fatigue, weakness. Frequent or severe infections. Losing weight without trying. Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen.
If caught early, leukemia can be cured by undergoing several cancer treatments.
When immune cells come into contact with leukaemia or lymphoma cells, they can release cytokines at high levels, causing irritation of nerve endings within the skin and thereby a persistent itch.
Some signs of leukemia, like night sweats, fever, fatigue and achiness, resemble flu-like symptoms. Unlike symptoms of the flu, which generally subside as patients get better, leukemia symptoms generally last longer than two weeks, and may include sudden weight loss, bone and joint pain and easy bleeding or bruising.
Blood tests.
By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets — which may suggest leukemia. A blood test may also show the presence of leukemia cells, though not all types of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood.
Common signs and symptoms of leukemia include: Fatigue, tiring easily. Fever or night sweats. Frequent infections.
Age: The risk of most leukemias increases with age. The median age of a patient diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is 65 years and older. However, most cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occur in people under 20 years old.
Blood tests are essential to accurate diagnosis of this complex disease. These tests can show whether you have leukemia cells or abnormal levels of normal cells: Blood smear: With this test, we take a drop of blood and look at it under a microscope.
Small, pinhead-sized red spots on the skin (called “petechiae”) may be a sign of leukaemia. These small red spots are actually very small bruises that cluster so that they look like a rash.
If acute leukemia is left untreated, a person with leukemia becomes increasingly susceptible to fatigue, excessive bleeding and infections until, finally, the body becomes virtually defenseless, making every minor injury or infection very serious. Leukemia may be fatal.
Often, petechiae are nothing to worry about. Still, it's always a good idea to check with your doctor if you're not sure where these spots came from. Some conditions that cause petechiae are very serious. Petechiae are more common in kids.
In most cases, petechiae are caused by a benign and harmless condition, but in some cases they may be a sign of an underlying disorder that requires urgent attention. Although petechiae can occur at any age, they are more commonly seen in older adults and children.