What is a characteristic finding in a patient with chronic myeloid leukemia?

In chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), leukocytosis, or elevated white blood cell count, is a hallmark finding. This increase in leukocytes is primarily due to the proliferation of myeloid cells resulting from a genetic mutation involving the Philadelphia chromosome, which results from a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22. This genetic abnormality leads to the overproduction of myeloid progenitor cells, which can crowd out normal blood cells and cause various symptoms.

Patients with CML typically present with symptoms related to leukocytosis, such as fatigue, fever, night sweats, and splenomegaly. The elevated white blood cell count can range significantly, often exceeding 100,000 cells/mm³, and can include a predominance of mature neutrophils and their precursors.

In contrast, café-au-lait spots are associated with conditions like neurofibromatosis and not CML. Similarly, severe thrombocytopenia, which refers to low platelet counts, is not characteristic of CML as the condition typically presents with normal to increased platelet levels in the chronic phase. High levels of hemoglobin are not a defining feature of CML; in fact, patients often present with anemia as the disease progresses. Thus