Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia

Question 1

What is CLL?

Answer 1

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Neoplastic proliferation of mature B lymphocytes

Question 2

What are risk factors for CLL?

Answer 2

Age (older)
Male
White ethnicity

Question 3

What complications are associated with CLL?

Answer 3

Warm autoimmune haemolytic anaemia

Hypogammaglobinaemia

Question 4

What is the pathophysiology of CLL?

Answer 4

Accumulation of mature B lymphocytes in blood

Richter transformation

Question 5

What is Richter’s transformation?

Answer 5

Transformation of CLL into fast-growing large cell lymphoma

Question 6

What investigations are done in suspected CLL?

Answer 6

FBC
Blood film

Bone marrow biopsy (not necessary)

Question 7

What does the FBC show in CLL?

Answer 7

Leucocytosis
Thrombocytopenia
Anaemia

Raised lymphocyte count

Question 8

What does the blood film show in CLL?

Answer 8

Increased number of lymphocytes

Smudge cells

Question 9

How is early stage CLL managed?

Answer 9

Monitoring - refer to haem

Question 10

How is late stage CLL managed?

Answer 10

Chemotherapy

Question 11

How is CLL staged?

Answer 11

Stage 0 = lymphocytosis
Stage 1 = lymphocytosis + lymphadenopathy
Stage 2 = lymphocytosis + spleno/hepatomegaly
Stage 3 = lymphocytosis + anaemia
Stage 4 = lymphocytosis + platelets <100