[Prolymphocytic leukemia: clinical, cytologic and immunologic findings]

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Immunology
• Oncology

Background:

• Prolymphocytic leukaemia (PLL) is a rare lymphoid malignancy.
• Understanding its clinical presentation and subtypes is crucial for diagnosis and management.

Observation:

• This report details two female patients with prolymphocytic leukaemia.
• Morphological analysis of leukaemic cells was key for diagnosis in both cases.
• Immunological methods distinguished one case as B-cell PLL and the other as T-cell PLL.

Findings:

• One patient presented with classic symptoms: high lymphocytosis and enlarged spleen.
• The second patient had minimal splenomegaly and only slight lymphocytosis.
• The disease showed slow progression over 20 months in the second patient.

Implications:

• Clinical presentation of prolymphocytic leukaemia can vary significantly.
• A long, asymptomatic period may precede overt symptoms like splenomegaly and pronounced lymphocytosis.
• This suggests a need for careful monitoring and individualized treatment approaches based on subtype and presentation.