Final answer:
B-cell Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma/Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (SLL/CLL) is a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects mature B cells, leading to their chronic accumulation. It has distinct cellular characteristics and can produce various symptoms depending on the progression of the disease. Clonal expansion is an underlying process in the disease's pathology.
Step-by-step explanation:
B-cell Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma/Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (SLL/CLL) has distinctive epidemiological characteristics. As a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), SLL/CLL primarily affects B cells, which are a type of lymphocyte essential for the immune response. Lymphocytes vary widely in size, but typically B cells affected by SLL/CLL may present as small to normal in size, contributing to the disease's nomenclature. The size range classification helps distinguish SLL/CLL from other lymphomas like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), which shows large B cells under a microscope.
One key feature of SLL/CLL is that it is generally chronic, involving an accumulation of mature leukocytes that fail to die, in contrast to acute forms where there is an overproduction of immature leukocytes. These malignant cells proliferate in the bone marrow and can spill over into the bloodstream, causing various symptoms including fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and in more severe cases, systemic symptoms like fever and weight loss.
Clonal expansion, a process where lymphocytes reproduce to form clones, can result in the proliferation of malignant cells characteristic of SLL/CLL. When these leukocytes are defective, as they are in leukemia and lymphoma, they can lead to serious health consequences.