complications

Last reviewed 01/2018

CLL may be complicated by:

• immune mediated cytopaenias:
• autoimmune haemolytic anaemia
• seen in 5 - 10 % of cases
• prevalence increases with more advance disease
• autoimmune thrombocytopenia
• pure red cell aplasia
• is associated with reticulocytopenia and the absence of erythroid precursors in the bone marrow
• seen in 1% to 6% of patients
• therapy related autoimmunity
• alkylating agents, radiotherapy, and purine analogues may be responsible

• infections
• according to the estimates, up to 70% of patients will develop infections

• second malignancies
• Kaposi sarcoma, malignant melanoma, cancers of the larynx and lung, brain cancer, and cancers of the stomach and bladder are seen in up to 11% of CLL patients

• disease transformation
• Richter syndrome - 5-10% of cases
• prolymphocytic leukemia

Reference:

• (1) Yee KW, O'Brien SM. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clin Proc. 2006;81(8):1105-29.