Purpose: Whether computed tomography (CT) should be routinely included in the diagnostic work-up in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic significance of abdominal CT in patients with CLL in Rai clinical stage 0.
Patients and methods: Abdominal CT was performed at diagnosis in 140 patients consecutively diagnosed with CLL in Rai stage 0 disease.
Results: An abnormal abdominal CT was found in 38 patients (27%). Abnormal CT correlated with increased bone marrow infiltration (P = .024), high lymphocyte count (P = .001), increased ZAP-70 expression (P = .003), and short lymphocyte doubling time (LDT; P = .007). Patients with abnormal CT progressed more frequently and had a shorter time to progression than those with normal CT (median, 3.5 years v not reached, respectively; P < .001) and required earlier treatment intervention. In a multivariate analysis, only high ZAP-70 expression (relative risk = 3.60) and an abnormal abdominal CT (RR = 2.71) correlated with disease progression.
Conclusion: In this series, an abnormal abdominal CT was a strong predictor of progression in patients with early-stage CLL. The inclusion of CT scans in the initial work-up of patients with early clinical stage on clinical grounds can, therefore, provide relevant clinical information.