What is acute leukemia?

Written by Zhang Xiao Le
Hematology
Updated on November 22, 2024
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Acute leukemia is a malignant clonal disease originating from hematopoietic stem progenitor cells. Normally, hematopoietic stem progenitor cells differentiate into white blood cells, which gradually mature into normal white blood cells. However, leukemia cells are primitive cells and immature cells, which means that the hematopoietic stem cells lose the ability to differentiate and mature. Additionally, they proliferate massively in the bone marrow while suppressing normal hematopoietic functions, and can widely infiltrate various organs such as the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. Due to the suppression of bone marrow hematopoiesis, patients may exhibit clinical manifestations such as anemia, bleeding, and infections. Patients with acute leukemia often seek medical attention because of fever, fatigue, or bleeding from the skin and mucous membranes.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Does leukemia cause vomiting?

Leukemia can cause vomiting. There are two reasons why leukemia patients experience vomiting: one is caused by the leukemia itself. If the white blood cell count in leukemia patients abnormally increases to more than 100×10^9/L, this condition is called hyperleukocytosis. In the state of hyperleukocytosis, the body is in a state of ischemia and hypoxia, which can manifest as dizziness, headache, and vomiting in the nervous system. The other reason is that during chemotherapy, the use of chemotherapy drugs can lead to gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea and vomiting.

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Written by Zhang Xiao Le
Hematology
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What is acute leukemia?

Acute leukemia is a malignant clonal disease originating from hematopoietic stem progenitor cells. Normally, hematopoietic stem progenitor cells differentiate into white blood cells, which gradually mature into normal white blood cells. However, leukemia cells are primitive cells and immature cells, which means that the hematopoietic stem cells lose the ability to differentiate and mature. Additionally, they proliferate massively in the bone marrow while suppressing normal hematopoietic functions, and can widely infiltrate various organs such as the liver, spleen, and lymph nodes. Due to the suppression of bone marrow hematopoiesis, patients may exhibit clinical manifestations such as anemia, bleeding, and infections. Patients with acute leukemia often seek medical attention because of fever, fatigue, or bleeding from the skin and mucous membranes.

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Written by He Li Fang
Hematology
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chronic granulocytic leukemia platelets

Patients with chronic granulocytic leukemia have variations in blood platelets as seen in routine blood tests, which differ according to different stages of the disease. In the chronic phase, especially early on, platelet counts are mostly elevated or normal, with increases potentially exceeding 1000x10^9 per liter. The shape of the platelets is normal, but their function is often abnormal, with thrombus formation being rare. A minority of patients may experience a decrease in platelet count. As the disease progresses, routine blood tests can reveal significant decreases or increases in platelet counts along with the appearance of megakaryocytes. Additionally, some patients may also exhibit bone marrow fibrosis, characterized by an increase in reticular fibers or collagen fibers.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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What are the symptoms of leukemia?

The symptoms of leukemia mainly fall into four categories: infections, anemia, bleeding, and tumor infiltration. Infections occur because the proliferation of leukemia cells leads to a reduction in the patient's own granulocytes, lowering their resistance and possibly leading to various secondary infections such as respiratory, urinary system, and skin mucous membrane infections. Anemia is due to the proliferation of leukemia cells, which restricts normal erythropoiesis in the bone marrow, leading to symptoms in patients such as dizziness, headaches, fatigue, and decreased stamina. Bleeding occurs due to a decrease in platelets, posing a risk of spontaneous bleeding, which can include bleeding of the skin mucous membranes, organs, and even cerebral hemorrhage. Tumor infiltration by leukemia cells may manifest as tumor masses on the skin surface.

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Written by Li Fang Fang
Hematology
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Symptoms of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

Most cases of chronic granulocytic leukemia are due to abnormal enlargement of the spleen, leading to abdominal distension and poor appetite. A small portion of chronic granulocytic leukemia cases show no obvious symptoms and are only discovered through routine physical examinations, finding an abnormal increase in white blood cells, leading to diagnosis and treatment in the hematology department. Common clinical symptoms of chronic granulocytic leukemia include an enlarged spleen. Additionally, some patients may also experience fatigue due to anemia, and a very few patients seek medical advice due to bleeding caused by a decrease in platelets.