A case of double leukemia: chronic myeloid leukemia intolerant to imatinib and chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are the most common leukemias of the elderly. However, the sequential occurrence of CML followed by CLL in the same patient is extremely rare. We present a report of a 70-year-old man who developed CLL six years after the diagnosis of CML in molecular, cytogenetic and morphologic remission. The diagnosis of CLL is confirmed by peripheral lymphocytosis. The first line therapy in CML in chronic phase is still imatinib, but in the present case the patient was intolerant to imatinib, therefore he switched to nilotinib after few months.