University of Virginia Health System

Chronic Leukemias

WHO Classification of Chronic Leukemias (with modification):

B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemias (CLL) 
This subset represents 90% or more of all chronic lymphocytic leukemias. 

• Small B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL, B-CLL))
• Mantle cell leukemia (MCL)
• Hairy cell leukemia (HCL)
• Prolymphocytic B cell leukemia (B-PLL) 
• Leukemic phase of splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes (SLVL) 
• Leukemic phase of splenic marginal zone lymphoma (MZL)
• Leukemic phase of lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) including Waldentrom's macroglobulinemia (WM)
• Leukemic phase of follicular lymphoma (FL) 

T and NK cell chronic lymphocytic leukemias

• Large granular lymphocyte (LGL) syndrome (leukemia)
• Leukemic phase of mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sezary's syndrome (SS) 
• Prolymphocytic T cell leukemia (T-PLL) 
• Small T cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (T-CLL)

Other chronic leukemias

• Chronic myelocytic leukemia- classified under "myeloproliferative disorders"
• Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia- usually classified under "myelodysplastic syndromes" because dysplasia of the other cell lines is frequently present.

General References:

• Bennett JM, Catovsky D, Daniel MT, et al: Proposals for the classification of chronic (mature) B and T lymphoid leukemias. J Clin Pathol 42:567, 1989
• Jaffe ES, Harris NL, Stein H, Vardiman JW (Eds). World health organization classification of tumours. Pathology and genetics of tumours of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues. IRAC Press: Lyon 2001

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