DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 67-year-old man who saw a doctor because of an itch. The doctor gave me a cream that took care of the itch, and he sent me for some blood tests. I was diagnosed as being in the early stages of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. That astounded me. I feel healthy. The doctor says no treatment is necessary now. What is my prognosis? What symptoms should I expect? – K.M.

ANSWER: Leukemia is a diagnosis that gives everyone a panic attack. It is cancer of the white blood cells. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is the most common kind of adult leukemia. Lymphocytes are one variety of white blood cell.

This leukemia strikes people at older ages, with the average age at the time of discovery being 65. Your story is typical. A blood count is ordered for unrelated reasons, and the report returns with a diagnosis of lymphocytic leukemia.

When symptoms occur, they include such things as fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss – symptoms that fit the picture of a hundred different illnesses. Somewhat unique to this leukemia, however, are enlarged lymph nodes, fever and night sweats.

The prognosis for people with this leukemia is based on its stage and its doubling time. Stage takes into account the total number of lymphocytes seen on the blood smear, enlargement of lymph nodes and spleen, a low platelet count and the presence of an anemia.

Doubling time is the length of time it takes for the lymphocyte count to become twice what it was on the original count. A doubling time of 12 months and an early-stage leukemia can predict a 20-year or longer course. However, some patients have a more rapid course, so the median survival time for all patients hovers around five years.

You are not being treated, which indicates you have an illness that has a slowly progressive course.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a 16-year-old grandson with a recently discovered birth defect – the inability to produce sufficient amounts of testosterone. He is 6 feet tall and weights 140 pounds. He is a good athlete, plays water polo and has a deep voice. I would like for you to enlighten me on the ramifications of this. – W.D.

ANSWER: When a boy is unable to produce a normal amount of testosterone, a number of consequences follow. The child tends to be taller than anticipated because his growth plates do not close. Growth plates are sections of bone that do not become true bone until the body signals them to close. Staying open permits bone elongation.

More important indications of sufficient male hormone are pubic hair and development of the genitals. Those standards are evaluated by the doctor.

Facial hair, acne, bigger muscles and deepening of the voice are other indications that the production of testosterone is sufficient.

Your grandson has some of those signs, so he must be producing a certain amount of male hormone. If the amount is not the normal amount, replacing the missing hormone is accomplished without trouble. The boy has developed admirably both psychologically and physically. His height puts him at the topmost position when compared with others of his age. His weight puts him on a middle rung.

The added hormone, if a deficit exists, will assure full development. The male-hormone side effects that happen to bodybuilders and athletes who take large doses will not happen to your grandson.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have had multiple sclerosis for three years. How does body temperature relate to this disease, and why? – D.S.

ANSWER: An increase in body temperature can transiently increase the impairment of nerve signal transmission that occurs with multiple sclerosis. A rise in body heat slows nerve transmission through nerve cables already impaired by MS. The symptoms go away when body temperature returns to normal.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My husband retired 10 years ago, and ever since, he has complained of itchy skin in the winter. I ignored him and his complaint until this winter. Now I itch. We scratch each other for relief. Do we lack some vitamin? – G.K.

ANSWER: You don’t lack any vitamin. You lack moisture.

Aging skin loses its natural oiliness. Normally an imperceptible layer of oil keeps moisture in skin. When that layer goes away, so does skin moisture. Add to that dry, indoor heat and outdoor chill, and the skin becomes even drier. Flakes form and fall off.

Dry skin itches. Scratching brings a moment of ecstatic bliss that disappears quickly. Constant scratching irritates the skin and turns it into hard leather. That compounds the basic problem.

The itch goes away when moisture returns to the skin.

I see by your address that you live in the North. Check the humidity of your house. If you are like most Northerners, the air in your home is dry. A humidifier is worth buying because it will help keep your skin moist. The humidity in your home should be around 40 percent.

When bathing or showering, you ought to keep the temperature tepid, not hot. Water temperature of 90 F (32.2 C) is as hot as the water should get. Use mild soaps. A sample includes Dove, Caress, Neutrogena and Basis. Pat the skin with a towel but don’t completely dry it. Quickly, before the water evaporates, apply a moisturizing cream or gel. Petrolatum and white petrolatum are cheap and effective, but the choice of a moisturizer is up to you. For back application, you’ll need a back brush that has sponge tips. They are not hard to come by.

Stop scratching each other.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.