Follicular Lymphoma With Leukemic Phase: Case Report

Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) originating from germinal center B cells constitutes 35% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Patients usually present with asymptomatic peripheral lymphadenopathy (LAP) at the time of diagnosis and approximately 70% of them have bone marrow involvement. Leukemic phase of FL is a rare condition and associated with a poor prognosis.
Case Report: In this report we presented a 29-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of leukemic phase of FL which is a rare condition. We initiated R-CHOP chemotherapy and he is still being followed in complete remission after 6 course.
Conclusion: Leukemic phase is a rare clinical presentation of FL and it can be confused with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Flowcytometric examination is very valuable in diagnosis. Leukemic phase of FL is associated with poor prognosis independent of FLIPI score. Therefore detecting circulating leukemic cells in patients with FL is necessary.