Untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia concurrent with or followed by acute myelogenous leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. A report of five cases and review of the literature

Am J Clin Pathol. 1999 Mar;111(3):373-8. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/111.3.373.

Abstract

Although it has been known that patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have a higher frequency of second malignant neoplasms, the development of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in these patients is extremely rare. Most reported cases have been therapy-related. In this article, we report the clinical and immunophenotypic features of 5 cases of untreated CLL concurrent with or followed by the development of AML or MDS. All 5 patients were men, with ages ranging from 57 to 87 years (mean, 73.8 years). Four patients had AML and 1 patient had refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts. In the 4 cases of AML and CLL, 2 distinct cell populations (i.e., myeloblasts and lymphocytes) were identified morphologically and/or immunophenotypically. Our findings support that this rare concurrence of AML or MDS and untreated CLL may represent 2 separate disease processes.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antigens, CD / analysis
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Immunophenotyping
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / complications*
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / immunology
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / pathology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / complications*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / immunology
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / complications*
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / immunology
  • Myelodysplastic Syndromes / pathology
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / complications*
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / immunology
  • Neoplasms, Second Primary / pathology

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Biomarkers, Tumor