What are the symptoms of AML?
Acute myeloid leukemia is diagnosed by a doctor taking a history of your child’s symptoms, performing a physical examination, and completing a microscopic examination of your child’s blood cells, bone marrow cells, and spinal fluid. A bone marrow aspiration/biopsy is obtained by inserting a needle into the hip bone and removing some marrow cells to test under the microscope. Leukemia starts here and this test established the diagnosis. A lumbar puncture, also called a spinal tap, is when a needle is inserted into the spinal canal and spinal fluid is removed and tested for leukemia cells. These tests are done under sedation or general anesthesia.
