Spontaneous Clinical Regression In Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia
Thomas, R., Ribeiro, I., Shepherd, P., Johnson, P., Cook, M., Lakhani, A., Kaczmarski, R., Carrington, P., & Catovsky, D. (2002). spontaneous clinical regression in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. British journal of haematology, 116(2), 341–345. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0007-1048.2001.03286.x
View Original Source →Abstract
. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is a B‐cell disorder, which has a median survival of over 10 years from diagnosis for stage A disease. The natural history of stage A disease is generally indolent or only slowly progressive. It is less well known that CLL may undergo spontaneous regression. We report a series of 10 such cases (eight stage A and two stage B) followed at our institutions.
Case Details
Disease Location
Bone marrowithblood/ln
Personal Characteristics
69 -year-old female
Clinical Characteristics
Diagnosed with b-cell cll in jan 1997 when she presented with flu-like symptoms lymphocyte count was 10.4x10^9/l and immunophenotyping suggested cll with CD23 and 5 weakly positive by june 1997 she developed splenomegaly which was confirmed by ultrasound to be 24cm long
Remission Characteristics
When last seen in nov 2000, her splenomegaly had decreased to 3cm below her costal margin and she had a lymphocyte count of 1.4x10^9/l repeat immunphenotyping showed only 1% b cells with no light chain restriction marrow revealed 12% lymphocytes, only 3% being b cells with no surface immunoglobulin restriction
Treatment & Mechanisms
Proposed Remission Mechanisms
Possibility of a natural regulatory mechanism controlling b-cell cll, which in rare instances leads to a downregulation of cell proliferation and eventually to a durable clinical remission
Clinical Treatment
None reported
Non-Clinical Treatment
None reported