Endobronchial lymphocytic infiltration. Unusual manifestation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

This report describes a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia followed over a 15-year period. The distinctive feature of her course was the infiltration of the bronchial wall by malignant lymphocytes, which produced endobronchial obstruction, atelectasis, and infection. Symptomatic improvement occurred following local irradiation and steroid therapy. A review of the literature establishes that the development of endobronchial infiltration during the course of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and other lymphoproliferative disorders is distinctly uncommon.