Surgical leukemia

The experience of the University of Colorado Medical Center affiliated hospitals with leukemic reticuloendotheliosis, hairy cell leukemia, during the past two years has been reviewed. Eight instances were found. The majority of patients in this study presented with fatigue, pancytopenia and splenomegaly. Diagnosis was based upon finding characteristic hairy cells in the blood, bone marrow or spleen. Treatment, unlike other hematopoietic malignant conditions, was primarily surgical, with splenectomy being the treatment of choice, which may lead to prolonged remission in the majority of instances.