Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Aplastic Anemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignancy and blood disorder whereby hematopoietic precursors in the bone marrow are arrested during the early stages of development.

Aplastic anemia is a normocytic and macrocytic bone marrow failure characterized by marrow hypoplasia and peripheral pancytopenia.

Patients diagnosed with AML usually present with organ infiltration and bone marrow failure. Bone marrow failure is characterized by thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, and anemia.

Anemia in AML patients is accompanied by fatigue, dizziness, chest pain, and dyspnea. Organ infiltration can be seen as gum infiltration, gingivitis, bleeding gums, and swollen gums.

Patients diagnosed with aplastic anemia usually have signs and symptoms that signify a decreased production of hematopoietic cells by the bone marrow. Signs and symptoms include thrombocytopenia, anemia, and neutropenia. Neutropenia manifests as mouth infections, recurrent infections, and ulcerations. Thrombocytopenia manifests as mucosal bleeding, rashes, and gingival bleeding. Anemia manifests as fatigue, headache, dyspnea, pallor, and palpitations.

Genetic abnormalities and chromosomal translocations cause inactivation or activation of genes, leading to the arrest of bone marrow cells and preventing their maturity in the early stages of development. Developmental arrest causes a decrease in the production of normal blood cells.

Damaged stem cells cause the bone marrow to be either aplastic or hypoplastic. Hypoplastic bone marrow has few blood cells, while aplastic bone marrow has no blood cells.

Children diagnosed with AML have growth delays and hearing loss and are at risk of developing secondary cancers. Some children diagnosed with AML experience late side effects in puberty and adulthood, such as fertility problems.

Children suffering from aplastic anemia do not achieve their desired milestones at the required time. Adults diagnosed with aplastic anemia are at risk of lymphoproliferative disorders, bleeding, and infections.