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The course of monoclonal ‘villous’ lymphocytosis over 15 years of follow-up: progression to SLVL or spontaneous clinical but not molecular remission

Leukemia volume 17, pages 2243–2244 (2003)Cite this article

TO THE EDITOR

Monoclonal ‘villous’ lymphocytosis (MVL) is an uncommon form of chronic lymphocytosis sustained by villous B cells that resemble closely the hairy B lymphocytes of splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes (SLVL) or splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL).1,2 MVL cells were found to be clonal, B-lineage cells with morphological and immunophenotypic (CD5−, CD23−, CD25−, CD38−, CD11c+) characteristics different from hairy cell leukaemia, its variant form, prolymphocytic leukaemia, and polyclonal B-cell lymphocytosis/hairy B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders.3 We have previously detailed the distinctive features of three adult patients (age 61–67 years, two female) with isolated MVL,1 considering this disorder as either a preclinical phase or a purely lymphocytosic variant of SLVL/SMZL. Transition from MVL to an aggressive form of SLVL was documented in one of these patients, after a progression-free interval of 7 years.4 Having now extended the total follow-up period up to 15 years, it is possible to shed more light on the long-term course of this rare lymphoproliferative disease.

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  1. Division of Haematology Ospedali Riuniti, Bergamo, Italy

    R Bassan, O Spinelli, A Rambaldi & T Barbui

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  1. R Bassan
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  2. O Spinelli
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  3. A Rambaldi
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  4. T Barbui
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Bassan, R., Spinelli, O., Rambaldi, A. et al. The course of monoclonal ‘villous’ lymphocytosis over 15 years of follow-up: progression to SLVL or spontaneous clinical but not molecular remission. Leukemia 17, 2243–2244 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403127

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