[Hairy cell leukemia. Personal experience with 11 cases]

Clinical and morphologic characteristics of hairy cell leukemia at 11 patients have been analyzed. The frequency of this disorder is 2.5% from all leukemias. This disorder is often retrospectively diagnosed--at 7 cases from our study. the disorder is often retrospectively diagnosed--older age (78%). Splenomegaly is the main clinical manifestation, at all 11 patients. Pancytopenia is frequent finding but at 4 patients the leucocyte count was over 10 X 10(9)/1 in the beginning. Hairy cells, although not always with typical appearance, in 90% of the cases are found in peripheral blood over 10%. Bone marrow biopsy cytological and hystological findings at 9 patients were typical for diagnosis. Fibrosis was present in 6 specimens. At 7 patients diagnosis was confirmed with histological examinations of lymphocyte concentrates from peripheral blood on thin and ultrathin sections, as well as with electron microscopy characteristic appearance of hairy cells. Pneumonia as complication was registered in 24 occasions, gastro-intestinal infections at 9, haemorrhagic syndrome at 4 and skin carcinoma at 2 cases. Treatment was variable--2 patients were observed for more than 50 months, 2 were splenectomised, of which one with complete remission longer than a year, while from 8 treated with COP protocol, complete remission was obtained in 5 (62%) patients, and two treated with CHOP protocol entered complete remission for longer than 12 months. Average survival is 51 months (2--144). Three (28%) patients died.