chronic myelogenous leukemia

chronic myelogenous leukemia

noun

Definition of CHRONIC MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA

: myelogenous leukemia that is marked by an abnormal increase in mature and immature granulocytes (as neutrophils, eosinophils, and myelocytes) especially in bone marrow and blood, that is characterized by fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, spleen and liver enlargement, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and ultimately a dangerous increase in blast cells and especially myeloblasts and lymphoblasts, that occurs especially in adults, and that is associated with the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome—abbreviation CML; called also chronic myelocytic leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic granulocytic leukemia; compare acute myelogenous leukemia