Listeriosis in hematological malignancies: report of two cases.

Listeriosis occurred in two patients with hematological malignancies, one with adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) (Case 1) and the other with chronic granulocytic leukemia (CGL) (Case 2). In Case 1, listeriosis was the initial manifestation of ATL, while it occurred in Case 2 after prolonged treatment with an alkylating agent and splenic irradiation. In both cases, depressed cell-mediated immunity was considered to be responsible for the listeriosis. Experience with the present two cases has indicated that listeriosis can be an initial manifestation of ATL, and the combination of an alkylating agent and splenic irradiation may increase the risk of listeriosis in patients with CGL.