A Patient with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Bone Localization: A Case Report

Metastatic disease of the bone is a rare complication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), it may be result from richter's transformation or metastatic from non lymphoid malignancies. CLL is the most common form of adult leukemia, with the median age of 70 years at diagnosis [Siegel et al. 2013]. The diagnosis is established by blood counts, blood smears, and immunophenotyping of circulating B-lymphocytes.The result is the increased number of lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, leukocytosis with absolute lymphocytosis, the increase of the lymphnodes, the increase in size of the spleen. The diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia B requires the presence of Clonal B cells in the peripheral blood at or above 5,000 / ul for at least 3 months. Typing immunophenotypical pathological lymphocytes are positive for surface antigens CD5, CD19, CD23, weakly positive for CD20 and CD22, generally negative FMC7 and CD79b; also expressing surface immunoglobulins. The Rai and Binet staging systems, which are established by physical examination and blood counts, have been recognized as standards for deciding whether to begin treatment. Patients with active or symptomatic disease or with advanced Binet or Rai stages require therapy. For fit patients, chemoimmunotherapy with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab represents the current standard therapy. For unfit patients, treatment with an anti-CD20 antibody (obinutuzumab, rituximab, ofatumumab) plus a milder chemotherapy (Chlorambucil) may be applied. At relapse, if the treatment-free interval exceeds two to three years, the initial treatment may be repeated, if the disease relapses earlier, drugs such as bendamustine (plus rituximab), alemtuzumab, lenalidomide, ofatumumab, ibrutinib, or idelalisib, must be choosen. Patients with a del(17p) or TP53 mutation can be treated with ibrutinib or a combination of idelalisib and rituximab. in relapsing patients with TP53 mutations or del(17p) or patients that are refractory to repeated chemoimmunotherapies, an allogeneic SCT may be considered [Hallek M 2015].

In this article we show a case of a 66-year-old man with CLL and a bone localization. In 2011 diagnosis of CLL, Rai Stage 0, Binet Stage A. Principal characteristics at diagnosis: HB 13.2 g /dl, White Blood Cells 15.800 / mm3, lymphocytes 61%, neutrophils 32%, monocytes 4%, platelets 141.000/mm3; normal hepatic end renal function; flowcytometric immunophenotyping of the peripheral blood revealed B-cell CLL; prognostic factors: CD38 negative, ZAP70 positive, rearrangement of the immunoglobulins mutated; FISH: negative; CT chest / abdomen / pelvis: presence of multiple aorto-pulmonary and axillary adenopathies (max diameter of 2 centimeters); bone marrow biopsy: infiltration of CLL equal to 60% of global cellularity. The patient was only observed until January 2015, when he was hospitalized due to acute anemia, requiring supportive therapy, and right foot pain . So it was decided to re-evaluate the whole disease in order to decide whether to start chemotherapy. The disease was staged again with instrumental and laboratory tests: presence of renal insufficiency, egd and colonoscopy negative, Coombs' test negative, bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic with bone marrow infiltration of 90%, abdomen ultrasound showed only moderate splenomegaly.

On February, persistence of right foot pain and appearance of swelling, assessed by the orthopedic as a suspected algic and dystrophic syndrome. So he suggested to perform scintigraphy which revealed: pronounced inflammatory osteometabolic reaction of the right tibia/fibula/ankle third distal which could be referred, in the first evaluation, to algic and dystrophic syndrome. However, a local biopsy was performed: localization of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. On March 2015 a total body TC showed 2 nodular calcifications in the right lung lobe, multiple right paratracheal, barety space, aortopulmonary and axillary adenopathies. Prostate size increased. In order to study carefully the liver and prostate lesions, an ultrasound abdomen was performed that documented only enlarged spleen, normal size liver, free of focal disease, increased prostate due to symmetric bilobate hypertrophy . After the second cycle of chemotherapy, prolonged thrombocytopenia, so he continues only with a radiotherapy program.