Cell suspensions from the peripheral brood of 21 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with pleomorphic lymphocytes (CLL-pleo) and 155 cases of typical CLL were analyzed to define the phenotype of the former and compare it with the phenotype of the latter. CLL-pleo was characterized by weak fluorescence intensity of surface immunoglobulin (mean channel number on flow cytometry <200), positive mouse rosettes and CD5, and negative CD22 and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase. Comparison of the positive rates of the markers and of the mean percentages of marker-expressing cells showed no statistical difference between CLL-pleo and typical CLL. CLL-pleo constitutes a morphological variant of typical CLL bearing the same membrane phenotype as typical CLL, although the mean absolute lymphocyte count in CLL-pleo was significantly higher than that of typical CLL.

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