Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2022 Aug;11(8):2990-2995.
doi: 10.21037/tcr-21-2864.

Diagnosis and prognostic analysis of skin infiltration in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a case report and literature review

Xiangyu Zhao #  1 , Ting Li #  2 , Piaoying Wang  1 , Xiaoteng Bai  1 , Juan Cheng  1   2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Diagnosis and prognostic analysis of skin infiltration in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a case report and literature review

Xiangyu Zhao et al. Transl Cancer Res. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a malignant lymphoproliferative disorder; excessive aggregation of small mature B cells in peripheral blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and spleen is characteristic. Cutaneous involvement of CLL can be classified into specific skin lesions, including skin infiltration by leukemic cells, secondary cutis tumors, nonspecific lesions and associated skin diseases. Uncommonly, skin infiltration in patients who are diagnosed with CLL can be localized or widespread, and it can take various forms, including nodules, plaques, papules, and ulcers.

Case description: We report a 52-year-old patient diagnosed for CLL with skin infiltration, whose lesions were subcutaneous nodules, widely distributed in the nasal base, right auricle, extremities, and trunk. Lesions are firm, without tenderness and have poor mobility. Spontaneous regression of some skin lesions is the most prominent feature. The pathological biopsy of skin tissue showed that small round cells infiltrated subcutaneous adipose tissue. The immunohistochemical results were consistent with the immunophenotype of neoplastic B cells, and the aberrant co-expression of CD5 and CD23 was the significant marker. The patient is currently being followed up.

Conclusions: Aggressive treatment of the primary disease can alleviate the skin symptoms to a certain extent, and the prognosis of patients is affected by multiple factors such as the extent of the lesions, whether accompanied by epidermal changes, the site of infiltration and the percentage of small B lymphocytes. Long-term follow-up is necessary.

Keywords: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); case report; diagnosis; prognosis; skin infiltration.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tcr-21-2864/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Skin infiltration in the nasal. This image is published with the patient’s consent.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Biopsy results. The subcutaneous nodule of the finger showed atypical lymphoid cells infiltrate adipose tissue (hematoxylin and eosin) (A). Immunohistochemistry revealed CD20+ (B), BCL2+ (C) and CD5+ (D) cells (A-D magnification, ×200).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. di Meo N, Stinco G, Trevisan G. Cutaneous B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia resembling a granulomatous rosacea. Dermatol Online J 2013;19:20033. 10.5070/D31910020033 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cerroni L, Zenahlik P, Höfler G, et al. Specific cutaneous infiltrates of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a clinicopathologic and prognostic study of 42 patients. Am J Surg Pathol 1996;20:1000-10. 10.1097/00000478-199608000-00009 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dhir R. Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia manifestating as exfoliative dermatitis. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 1995;61:102-3. - PubMed
    1. Robak E, Robak T. Skin lesions in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma 2007;48:855-65. 10.1080/10428190601137336 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Plaza JA, Comfere NI, Gibson LE, et al. Unusual cutaneous manifestations of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. J Am Acad Dermatol 2009;60:772-80. 10.1016/j.jaad.2008.12.047 - DOI - PubMed

Publication types