subject: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia [print this page] This version of leukemia is also called as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is caused by unusual growth and development non-granular white blood cells during their early stages of formation. ALL is predominantly seen in children. It is noteworthy that this version of the disease is frequently in industrialized countries.
Typically, the diagnosis is done after around 4 to 6 weeks of illness is reported. One primary illness symptom is the non-specific bodily infection that sustains. The child or the patient during this time endures a pain in the joints, back or limbs. Some children can find walking to be a difficult exercise as the swelling gets larger. The onset of a purple brown rash gives a clear signal to go for a blood test.
Sometimes the thymus gets affected and this may lead to shortness of breath and coughing. A venous blockage could also occur and may induce more swelling in other parts of the body like the arm and the head. This is a life-threatening situation and is called as SVC syndrome.
Adults and children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia risk developing complications due to the involvement of the central nervous system (CNS). This is more likely in patients with L3 subtype of ALL. When cancerous cells get into the CNS, pressure increases within the skull and this may result in the paralysis of cranial nerves. The cranial nerves are the one that connect all the other organs with the brain.
The younger the patient, the better are the chances of curing. Around 60 - 80 percent of the patients, fortunately, achieve complete remission after completing the therapy.
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia does not have any standard staging process. It can be rather categorized according to French-American-British (FAB) Morphological Classification Scheme for ALL:
L1: Mature-appearing lymphoblasts
A condition where the small cells with uniform genetic material is seen. They are of regular nuclear shape but with non-visible nucleoli.
L2: Pleomorphic and immature lymphoblasts
These cells are rather large and vary in size, with different kinds of genetic material, irregular shaped nucleus, one or more than one large nucleoli and also with variable cytoplasm.
L3: Lymphoblasts
These are also large but uniform and the genetic material is spread finely. The nucleus shape is either round or oval but regular. This is one or more than one prominent nucleoli, and cytoplasm is found to be moderately abundant.
The prognosis depends on patient's age, presence of Philadelphia chromosome, whether the cancerous cells have spread to the spinal cord or brain and whether the treated occurred in the before with no remission.
