[Hairy cell leukemia. 2d report on the clinical course, morphology and therapy of 27 patients]

The course of hairy cell leukaemia was observed in 27 patients for a maximum of 97 months. Splenectomy had been performed in 17 patients and improved the haematological situation impressively in most cases. Amongst patients with splenectomy ten are alive with 8 to 88 months postoperatively. In five of them disease manifesting as isolated leucocytosis, deterioration of the overall haematological situation or as intraabdominal lymphomatous growth could be treated successfully. Treatment consisted of leucapheresis, low-dose long-term therapy with chlorambucil, administration of doxorubicin (adriamycin) or a combination of cytostatics containing doxorubicin as well as abdominal localized or overall irradiation.