Petechiae. Petechiae is another term for leukemia blood spots. People with leukemia may notice tiny red blood spots on their skin — these pinpoints are called petechiae. They're caused by broken blood vessels, or capillaries, underneath the skin.

When should I be concerned about petechiae?

If you have petechiae, you should contact your doctor right away or seek immediate medical care if: you also have a fever. you have other worsening symptoms. you notice the spots are spreading or getting bigger.

Where does petechiae appear with leukemia?

A problem with your platelets

Petechiae usually turns up on the arms and legs. “Many patients will notice a lot of scattered bright red dots on their arms or lower legs that occur with very little or no known trauma,” Dr. Wang says. “It's a sign that a person's platelet count is extremely low.”