[Prolymphocytic leukemia: clinical, cytologic and immunologic findings].

The clinical development and progress of disease in two women with prolymphocytic leukaemia are reported. The morphology of the leukaemic cells was the most important diagnostic criterion in both cases. In one patient the disease was characterized by immunological methods as being a B-cell leukaemia, in the other a T-cell leukaemia. At the time of diagnosis one patient showed the typical clinical symptoms like excessive lymphocytosis and splenic enlargement. In the other case no splenomegaly and only a slight lymphocytosis was found. During a period of 20 months without treatment the disease was only slightly progressive. Due to the favorable course of the disease in this case it may be concluded that the clinical picture of prolymphocytic leukaemia with distinct lymphocytosis and splenic enlargement is preceeded by a relatively long symptom free period.