Case Reports in Clinical Medicine, 2020, 9, 96-106
https://www.scirp.org/journal/crcm
ISSN Online: 2325-7083
ISSN Print: 2325-7075
DOI: 10.4236/crcm.2020.94015 Apr. 9, 2020 96 Case Reports in Clinical Medicine
Cerebral Localization of Chronic Lymphocytic
Leukemia Simulating Progressive Multifocal
Leukoencephalopathy: The Lessons from a Case
T. M. Sandouno
1*
, S. Chebrek
2
, C. Tchonko
2
, G. Pichancourt
3
, L. Giovannetti
2
, H. Zerazhi
2
,
Romain Appay
4
, H. Lepidi
4
, H. Bachir
1
, S. Hamaz
1
, H. B. Alaoui
1
, K. Serraj
1
, B. Slama
2
1
Internal Medicine Department, Mohammed VI University Hospital Center, Mohammed I University, Oujda, Morocco
2
Onco-hematology department, Henri Duffaut Hospital Center, Avignon, France
3
Infectiology Departement, Henri Duffaut Hospital Center, Avignon, France
4
Department of Pathological Anatomy and Neuropathology, Timone University Hospital Center, Marseille, France
Abstract
Background: Central neurological involvement is the most frequent extra he-
matological manifestation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia; it is multifactorial
and rarely due to a cerebral localization of the disease. We report a case of cer-
ebral localization of chronic lymphoid leukemia whose clinical and radiological
aspects were very suggestive of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Case
Presentation: A 65-year-old patient who was HIV-negative (human immu-
nodeficiency virus), had consulted for bilateral axillary, cervical and inguinal
lymphadenopathy associated with major asthenia and hyper lymphocytosis
(lymphocyte count was 11 giga/l). Chronic lymphocyticleukemia with TP53
mutation was diagnosed and treatment with Ibrutinib 420 mg/day was initiat-
ed. After 2 months of treatment, the evolution was marked by the onset of neu-
rological disorders whose clinical-radiological presentation and temporal evo-
lution had led to the diagnosis of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.
In the absence of virological evidence in the cerebrospinal fluid analysis, a
stereotactic biopsy of the brain lesions had been performed, making it possi-
ble to formally rule out this infectious hypothesis and to demonstrate cerebral
invasion by tumour cells. Immuno-chemotherapy combining Rituximab-
Cyclophosphamide-Doxorubicin-Vincristine-Prednisone-Ibrutinib (RCHOP-
Ibrutinib) with intrathecal chemotherapy resulted in a very good clinical-
radiological response. Conclusion: The appearance of neurological manifes-
tations in the context of chronic lymphocytic leukemia must systematically
lead to a search for a cerebral localization of the disease. In the absence of vi-
rological evidence in the cerebrospinal fluid, any suspicion of progressive
How to cite this paper: Sandouno, T.M.,
Chebrek, S., Tchonko, C., Pichancourt, G.,
Giovannetti, L., Zerazhi, H., Appay, R.,
Lepidi, H., Bachir, H., Hamaz, S., Alaoui,
H.B., Serraj, K. and Slama, B. (2020) Cere-
bral Localization of Chronic Lymphocytic
Leukemia Simulating Progressive Multifo-
cal Leukoencephalopathy: The Lessons from
a Case. Case Reports in Clinical Medicine,
9, 96-106.
https://doi.org/10.4236/crcm.2020.94015
Received: February 2, 2020
Accepted: April 6, 2020
Published: April 9, 2020
Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and
Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution International
License (CC BY 4.0).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access