Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is usually discovered incidentally by lymphocytosis (elevated lymphocyte count) as part of a complete blood count (differential blood count) performed for other reasons.
The following symptoms and complaints may indicate chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL):
- Fatigue, tiredness
- Fever*
- Night sweats* (nocturnal sweating)
- High susceptibility to infection
- Hemorrhagic diathesis (bleeding tendency)
- Pale skin color
- Dyspnea (shortness of breath)
- Lymphadenopathy (lymph node enlargement) – these feel coarse and painless; lymph enlargement always occurs during the course of the disease
- Skin involvement:
- Hepatosplenomegaly (enlargement of the liver and spleen).
- Swelling of the parotid gland (parotid gland).
- Unwanted weight loss*
B-symptomatics
- Unexplained, persistent or recurrent fever (> 38 °C).
- Severe night sweats (wet hair, soaked sleepwear).
- Unwanted weight loss (> 10% percent of body weight within 6 months).
In more than two-thirds of all cases, the disease is asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis, meaning no symptoms are present. CLL is usually discovered incidentally during a routine blood test.