Health Dictionary Find a Doctor

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia physical examination

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Haytham Allaham, M.D. [2]Raviteja Guddeti, M.B.B.S. [3]

Overview

Physical examination of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia is usually remarkable for skin pallor, palpable cervical lymph nodes, and hepatomegaly.

Physical Examination

General Appearance

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients often appear cachexic with “B” symptoms (5-10%):^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Skin

Pallor
Petechiae
Leukemia cutis (infiltration of neoplastic leukocytes or their precursors into the skin resulting in clinically identifiable cutaneous lesions)^[5]

HEENT

Painless lymph node enlargement (50-90%), usually cervical, supraclavicular, and axillary.
Dacryoadenitis

Abdomen

Splenomegaly (25-55%)
Hepatomegaly (15-25%)

Images

Extremity

Leukemia. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[6]

Trunk

Leukemia. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[6]
Leukemia. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[6]
Leukemia. Adapted from Dermatology Atlas.^[6]

References

↑ Hallek M, Cheson BD, Catovsky D, Caligaris-Cappio F, Dighiero G, Döhner H, Hillmen P, Keating M, Montserrat E, Chiorazzi N, Stilgenbauer S, Rai KR, Byrd JC, Eichhorst B, O’Brien S, Robak T, Seymour JF, Kipps TJ (June 2018). “iwCLL guidelines for diagnosis, indications for treatment, response assessment, and supportive management of CLL”. Blood. 131 (25): 2745–2760. doi:10.1182/blood-2017-09-806398. PMID 29540348.
↑ Hallek M, Cheson BD, Catovsky D, Caligaris-Cappio F, Dighiero G, Döhner H, Hillmen P, Keating M, Montserrat E, Chiorazzi N, Stilgenbauer S, Rai KR, Byrd JC, Eichhorst B, O’Brien S, Robak T, Seymour JF, Kipps TJ (June 2018). “iwCLL guidelines for diagnosis, indications for treatment, response assessment, and supportive management of CLL”. Blood. 131 (25): 2745–2760. doi:10.1182/blood-2017-09-806398. PMID 29540348.
↑ Rai KR, Sawitsky A, Cronkite EP, Chanana AD, Levy RN, Pasternack BS (August 1975). “Clinical staging of chronic lymphocytic leukemia”. Blood. 46 (2): 219–34. PMID 1139039.
↑ Kipps TJ, Stevenson FK, Wu CJ, Croce CM, Packham G, Wierda WG, O’Brien S, Gribben J, Rai K (January 2017). “Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia”. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 3: 16096. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2016.96. PMC 5336551. PMID 28102226.
↑ Agnew KL, Ruchlemer R, Catovsky D, Matutes E, Bunker CB (June 2004). “Cutaneous findings in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia”. Br. J. Dermatol. 150 (6): 1129–35. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.2004.05982.x. PMID 15214899.
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 “Dermatology Atlas”.

Template:Hematology

Template:WikiDoc Sources

Terms and Conditions

© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH