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Hairy cell leukaemia in the Bloemfontein academic hospitals
T Nel1, G Joubert, E van der Ryst
1Department of Haematology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Objectives:
To study the clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of patients diagnosed with hairy cell leukaemia (HCL) in the Bloemfontein Academic Hospitals during the past 21 years.
Design:
Retrospective study. All HCL patients diagnosed from 1975 to 1996.
Setting:
Haematology clinics of the Universitas and Pelonomi Hospitals in Bloemfontein.
Subjects:
All HCL patients diagnosed from 1975 to 1996.
Main Outcome Measures:
To determine the clinical and demographic profile, as well as response to treatment, of HCL patients in this region.
Results:
A total of 16 HCL patients were studied. There were more males (13) than females and the mean age of the patients was 58 years (35 to 82 year; SD14.8). No Black patients were diagnosed. The patients mostly presented with a cytopenia and splenomegaly was present in 12 of the 14 patients for which spleen size was noted. All of the patients had a splenectomy and six were also treated with 2'-deoxycoformycin (Pentostatin). All six of the patient showed a response to treatment with this purine analogue.
Conclusions:
The presentation of HCL in the Bloemfontein academic hospitals is similar to what is seen world-wide. However, to evaluate the durability of the response to treatment with the purine analogues. Long term follow up is needed.