Symptoms of chronic myeloid leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), also known as chronic granulocytic leukemia, is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by a significant increase in granulocytes, marked splenomegaly, and a relatively slow disease progression. The symptoms of CML vary among individuals and are summarized as follows: 1. Early symptoms: Some patients may have no obvious symptoms in the early stages or may incidentally discover splenomegaly or abnormally elevated white blood cell counts in peripheral blood during a physical examination. A few patients may experience symptoms of increased metabolic activity, such as low-grade fever, night sweats, fatigue, and weight loss. 2. Typical symptoms: As the disease progresses, patients may develop symptoms of anemia, including fatigue, dizziness, pallor, and palpitations or shortness of breath during physical activity. Due to impaired immune function, patients are prone to recurrent infections that are difficult to cure; common infection sites include the mouth, throat, and lungs. Nearly all patients in the advanced stages develop splenomegaly, with the spleen sometimes enlarging to fill the entire abdomen and extending into the pelvic cavity, being firm in texture with a smooth surface. 3. Bleeding tendency: In later stages, some patients may experience bleeding of varying severity, such as epistaxis, gingival bleeding, skin bruising, or gastrointestinal hemorrhage. 4. Other manifestations: A few patients may develop symptoms related to thrombosis caused by markedly elevated white blood cell counts, such as acute left upper quadrant abdominal pain due to splenic infarction. Some patients may develop symptoms of gouty arthritis due to hyperuricemia. Symptoms of CML vary from person to person. If you have concerns or experience any of these symptoms, please seek timely medical consultation with a specialist.