C h r o n i c L y m p h o l i f e r a t i v e D i s o r d e r s
General
• Chronic lymphoproliferative disorders are malignant proliferations of mature-
appearing lymphocytes (not lymphoblasts, like in ALL) in the blood and bone
marrow.
• Virtually all cases occur in adults (often elderly adults).
• In most cases, symptoms come on gradually, and the disease progresses
slowly.
Classification
There are four main chronic lymphoproliferative disorders. The diagnosis is made using morphology (how the cells look under the microscope) and immunophenotyping (which markers the cells display on their surface).
The four disorders are:
