Abstract Introduction: The incidence of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) increases with age, which can present with anemia initially. In this study, we aim to evaluate CML as a cause of anemia in the elderly. Case Series: From May to July 2015, patients above 60 years clinically suspected with anemia were included. The clinical details including the demographics were retrieved from the case charts. The laboratory parameters were correlated with the clinical features. The anemia was classified based on the morphology of the peripheral smear and graded based on the haemoglobin levels. The diagnosis of CML was confirmed on peripheral smear. Among 102 patients, three patients were diagnosed with CML. Case no 1 and 2 had marked leukocytosis with thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis respectively, while case 3 presented with pancytopenia. The spleen size varied from minimal to massive. Hemoglobin ranged from 9.6 – 10.4 g/dl. The patient who presented with pancytopenia died while on follow up. Conclusion: The incidence of CML in elderly (2.9%) is similar to the published literature. Other comorbid factors can influence the clinical outcome.
Keywords: Anemia; Pancytopenia; Chronic Myeloid Leukemia; Elderly.