Many people are diagnosed with CLL even though they do not have any symptoms. The disease may be suspected because of abnormal results from blood tests that were ordered either as part of an annual physical or a medical examination for an unrelated condition. An unexplained elevated white blood cell (lymphocyte) count is the most common finding that leads a doctor to consider a CLL diagnosis. Generally, CLL symptoms develop over time. As the disease progresses, a person may experience:

Fatigue
Shortness of breath during normal physical activity
Anemia (decreased red blood cell count)
Lymph node enlargement (particularly in the neck)
Low grade fevers
Unexplained weight loss
Night sweats
Enlarged spleen or liver
Infections of the skin, lungs, kidneys or other sites, as result of low immunoglobulin levels and decreased neutrophil counts.