“Smudge cells” in the peripheral smear are characteristic of:
Chronic myelogenous leukemia
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Acute myelogenous leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
In CLL, the peripheral blood contains increased numbers of small, round lymphocytes with scant cytoplasm. These cells are fragile and are frequently disrupted in the process of making smears, producing so-called smudge cells.