Blood/Blood Cells and Cellular Components ›› Lymphocytes ›› Abnormal

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)*


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› Microscopic Features:

• Increased number of Small to intermediate sized lymphocytes in the peripheral blood (usually >5000 absolute count)
• Minimal nuclear membrane irregularities
• Nucleoli are absent
• Background smudge cells (smeared partially broken up cells) are common but not specific to CLL

› Normal % blood-PB, marrow-BM, lymphoid tissue-LN:

• PB: None
• BM: None
• LN: None

› May Resemble:

• Lymphocyte (mature) [Compare]
• Reactive lymphocyte [Compare]
• Mantle cell leukemia (Mantle Cell Lymphoma in blood) [Compare]

› Differential Diagnoses:

Reactive lymphocytosis Mantle cell leukemia Other mature B or T-cell leukemias

› Classic Immunophenotype:

• CD19+
• CD20dim+
• CD5+
• CD23+
• BCL1-

› Cartoon Image:


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› Misc:

• CLL is a low grade B-cell leukemia mostly seen in elderly In tissue it is called Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL)