What are common manifestations of acute myeloid leukemia?

• A. Neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and pain from enlarged liver or spleen.
• B. Only lymphadenopathy.
• C. Hypercalcemia as the sole symptom.
• D. AML never causes cytopenias.

Answer: (A)

Acute myeloid leukemia most often presents as bone marrow failure from infiltration by leukemic blasts, leading to cytopenias across cell lines. Neutropenia increases infection risk, anemia causes fatigue and dyspnea, and thrombocytopenia leads to easy bruising or mucosal bleeding. The disease can also infiltrate organs, producing splenomegaly or hepatomegaly with associated pain; gingival hyperplasia is another possible finding. This combination—low neutrophils, red cells, and platelets, sometimes with organomegaly-related discomfort—reflects the common spectrum of AML manifestations.

Lymphadenopathy alone is not the hallmark of AML, hypercalcemia as a sole symptom is not typical for AML, and AML can indeed cause cytopenias, so those statements don’t fit the usual pattern.