On leukemia and bruising
Leukemia is divided into acute and chronic types, and symptoms can vary widely between types, however a very common symptom that may even precede diagnosis is easy bruising. It is easy to confuse leukemia bruising with those occurring due to other conditions or even those resulting from trauma. In anxious individuals, this can cause unnecessary concern. Some key points as to how to differentiate between bruises due to benign causes and those when a malignant condition is suspected are the following:
- Bruises of leukemia tend to occur at sites unlikely exposed to trauma. If bruises develop on the trunk, head or neck for example, it could point towards a serious condition.
- Their multiplicity
- Their unexplained appearance with no memory of a trauma
- Their association with bleeding
- Their association with other symptoms of leukemia such as fatigue, night sweating, unexplained loss of weight and frequent infections.
As mentioned above, the reason as to why excessive bleeding develops in leukemia can either be attributed to a deficiency of platelets in acute leukemia due to the destruction of their mother cells or their replacement by malignant cells, or the presence of excess yet dysfunctional platelets in chronic leukemia.
Besides bruising, leukemia patients may complain of what looks like a rash. This is called petechiae, and they are small sites of bleeding into the skin that occur when a small blood vessel supplying the skin ruptures, and due to the deficiency of platelets, the defect in the blood vessel takes a long time to be clogged producing the characteristic small sport of bleeding into the skin. If those spots are grouped together, they produce a rash-like appearance.
Leukemia is a complex disease, and the combination of symptoms that it produces can vary according to the type, severity and person it affects. If you notice any of the danger signs mentioned above, it would be wise to seek medical care, otherwise, don’t be overanxious about every bruise.