Simultaneous occurrence of chronic lymphocytic and chronic myeloid leukemia.

The coexistence of chronic lymphocytic (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the same patient has only been reported occasionally. Most of these cases represent the patients who developed CLL during the course of CML. Reviewing the literature, only a few cases of simultaneous occurrence of CLL and CML were found. Here we represent a previously healthy 50-year old man in whom the diagnosis of CLL and CML was established by FNAB of the bone marrow. The diagnosis was then confirmed by histopathology, immunophenotypization of the peripheral blood and by a cytogenetic study of the bone marrow. Four years after the diagnosis the patient is well, with leucocytosis of 40 x 10(9)/L, and lymphocytosis of 93%.