Spontaneous Remission in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Abstract

The diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was made in 1952 in a 63 year old male. Initial manifestations of the disease included lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, 30,000 lymphocytes/mm3 of blood and a Coomb''s positive hemolytic anemia. Two courses of triethylenemelamine and a splenectomy were of little benefit but cortisone therapy resulted in amelioration of hemolytic anemia. In May, 1955, one and one-half years after cortisone was discontinued, lymphadenopathy and hepatomegaly disappeared but the blood revealed 50,000 lymphocytes/mm3. Gradual decline of WBC began to occur and by December, 1961, there was no evidence of CLL discernible on physical or laboratory examination. Since then he has remained free of any evidence of CLL. The interval between cessation of therapy and onset of improvement which eventually led to his present complete remission is too long to relate the development of remission to therapy.