COVID-19-Induced Hyperleucocytosis in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia

Balraj Singh; Sarah Ayad; Parminder Kaur; Ro-Jay Reid; Sachin Gupta; Michael Maroules

doi:10.12890/2021_002348

COVID-19-Induced Hyperleucocytosis in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia

Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. 2021 Mar 15;8(3):002348. doi: 10.12890/2021_002348. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Balraj Singh¹, Sarah Ayad¹, Parminder Kaur¹, Ro-Jay Reid¹, Sachin Gupta¹, Michael Maroules¹

Affiliation

¹ Saint Joseph's University Medical Center, Peterson, NJ, USA.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus responsible for the current global pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 usually presents with respiratory symptoms but can affect multiple organ systems. A wide spectrum of complications can occur depending upon the comorbidities of patients. There is limited literature available regarding the presentation and outcome of COVID-19 in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients. We report 2 cases of COVID-19-induced hyperleucocytosis (WBC count >100,000/μl) in CLL patients.

Learning points: Lymphopenia has been associated with severe disease and is a poor prognostic factor in COVID-19 infected patients; however, our cases show COVID-19-induced hyperleucocytosis (WBC count >100,000/μl)/lymphocytosis in CLL patients.Prior reports suggest that ibrutinib may have a protective effect against COVID-19 by decreasing inflammation and preventing progression to ARDS.

Keywords: CLL; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; chronic lymphocytic leukaemia; leucocytosis; lymphocytosis; lymphopenia.