The difference between bruises and purple bloodshot in leukemia

Leukemia is a very serious disease, commonly known as blood cancer. Bruising on the body is a typical sign of leukemia. The bruises and purple bloodshot caused by leukemia are very similar in appearance, but their natures are completely different. We must understand the difference between the bruises and purple bloodshot caused by leukemia. If you are not sure, you need to go to the hospital for examination as soon as possible. Once you have leukemia, you must actively control and treat it.

There is no obvious difference in appearance between leukemia bruises and normal bruises, both are bleeding of the skin and mucous membranes. However, there are obvious differences in accompanying symptoms and auxiliary examinations. Normal bruises usually have no other accompanying symptoms, and platelet and coagulation function tests are normal. Leukemia patients often have symptoms of anemia such as fatigue, chest tightness, shortness of breath, as well as symptoms of infection such as fever. At the same time, leukemia patients often have obvious abnormalities in white blood cells, hemoglobin and platelets.

How is Leukemia Diagnosed?

Routine blood test

It is to take a small amount of blood from the finger or earlobe, test the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, and classify the white blood cells. Under normal circumstances, immature blood cells (referred to as immature cells) should not appear in the peripheral blood.

Routine bone marrow examination

If leukemia is suspected, a bone marrow puncture must be performed to count and classify the various types of cells in the bone marrow. Under normal circumstances, the immature cells in the bone marrow do not exceed 5%, but in leukemia, the immature cells increase and can exceed 30%.

Immunophenotyping

This test generally requires the aspiration of about 2 ml of bone marrow, and then the use of a reagent called "monoclonal antibody" to identify and classify the types of leukemia cells.

Cytogenetic testing

This test also requires the aspiration of about 2 ml of bone marrow to determine whether there are any abnormalities in the essential chromosomes of the leukemia cells. Leukemia with chromosomal abnormalities often has a worse prognosis than leukemia without chromosomal abnormalities.