Hairy cell leukemia

  • Med Oncol. 2007;24(1):7-15. doi: 10.1007/BF02685898.
Ronan Swords  1 ,  Francis Giles
Affiliations
  • 1. Department of Haematology, University College Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
PMID: 17673807 DOI: 10.1007/BF02685898
Abstract

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by pancytopenia and variable infiltration of the reticuloendothelial system with "hairy" lymphocytes. HCL is more common in men than women and has a median age of diagnosis of 52 yr. Typically, patients with HCL respond well to purine analog-based therapy. The purpose of this review will be to establish the current status of HCL with respect to its pathophysiology, diagnosis, management, and future directions.