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. 2010 Dec 29:26–455. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-443-07151-5.50005-6

Table 3.97.

Classification of leukaemias

Type of leukaemia Variant Characteristics
Acute lymphoblastic (ALL)

  • Homogeneous small blast type

  • Heterogeneous blast type

  • Homogeneous large blast type

  • Predominantly affects children – peak incidence 4–5 years

  • CNS involvement

  • No pre-leukaemic phase

  • 2–12 years >60% cure rate with chemotherapy

  • Adults 20% cure rate
Acute non-lymphoblastic (predominantly AML)

  • Myeloblastic without differentiation

  • Myeloblastic with differentiation

  • Hypergranular promyelocytic

  • Acute myelomonocytic

  • Monocytic

  • Erythroleukaemia

  • Megakaryoblastic

  • Predominantly affects adults – peak incidence young adults/middle age

  • CNS involvement unusual 30% cure rate with chemotherapy

  • 15% resistant disease
Chronic lymphoid (CLL)

  • Lymphocytic

  • Sezary syndrome

  • Hairy cell

  • Prolymphocytic

  • T-cell

  • ∼25% of all leukaemias

  • Most common in elderly

  • M:F = 2:1

  • Deranged apoptosis – CLL cells survive for abnormally long time and accumulate
Chronic myeloid (CML)

  • Granulocytic

  • Atypical granulocytic

  • Juvenile

  • Myelomonocytic

  • Eosinophilic

  • < 20% of all leukaemias

  • Median age of onset

  • 40–50 years

  • Males slightly more commonly

  • Progressive splenomegaly

  • Leucocytosis

  • Marrow hypercellularity > 90% have Philadelphia chromosome – ‘balanced translocation’ between chromosomes 9 and 22